Overview

• The UK government issued a secret order in January 2025 requiring Apple to provide access to encrypted iCloud data globally, including for users with no UK connection.
• The order, under the Investigatory Powers Act, mandates Apple to weaken its Advanced Data Protection feature, which offers end-to-end encryption for iCloud backups.
• US lawmakers Ron Wyden and Andy Biggs have urged Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard to pressure the UK to withdraw the order, citing risks to American privacy and cybersecurity.
• Critics, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, warn that the move undermines global encryption standards, jeopardizing data security for journalists, activists, and ordinary users.
• Apple faces legal penalties if it acknowledges the order, which opponents argue could set a dangerous precedent for government overreach into private communications.