Overview

• The UK government secretly issued a 'technical capability notice' requiring Apple to provide access to encrypted iCloud data globally, leveraging the Investigatory Powers Act of 2016.
• Apple may stop offering encrypted storage in the UK rather than compromise its Advanced Data Protection feature, though the order's global implications remain unresolved.
• The demand prohibits Apple from informing users that their encrypted data security may be compromised, raising privacy concerns internationally.
• Apple has consistently opposed creating backdoor access to encryption, citing risks of exploitation by bad actors and potential abuse by authoritarian governments.
• Critics warn the UK order could set a precedent for other nations, further eroding global privacy protections and undermining encryption standards.