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2h ago

UK Agrees to Drop Apple iCloud Backdoor Mandate, U.S. Intelligence Chief Says

Formal withdrawal has not been communicated to Apple, leaving restoration of end-to-end encryption features in the UK uncertain.

A view of a signage outside an Apple store in London, Britain, October 11, 2024. REUTERS/Mina Kim/File Photo
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This government no longer wants to open your iPhone's encrypted backdoor – so why are iCloud users still at risk?

Overview

  • DNI Tulsi Gabbard said the UK has agreed to rescind a secret Investigatory Powers Act order that sought access to encrypted iCloud data, including that of Americans.
  • Washington pushed for the reversal, with President Trump and Vice President JD Vance engaged, and a UK official told the Financial Times the government "can't and won't" force a backdoor.
  • Apple disabled Advanced Data Protection for UK users in February and challenged the mandate at the Investigatory Powers Tribunal rather than weaken its encryption.
  • U.S. officials reviewed whether the UK demand conflicted with the U.S.-UK CLOUD Act, which restricts cross-border orders for citizens' data.
  • Despite the agreement, the order has not been formally withdrawn and Apple says it has received no notice, so there is no timeline for reinstating ADP in the UK.