Overview

• According to the Financial Times, the Home Office issued a technical capability notice in early September directing Apple to enable access to British users’ encrypted iCloud backups under the Investigatory Powers Act, while the department declines to confirm operational details.
• Apple removed its opt‑in Advanced Data Protection feature in the UK in February and says it remains unable to offer it to new UK users, reiterating it has never built a backdoor and will not do so.
• The January order had sought worldwide access and prompted a diplomatic backlash from Washington, with US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard saying in August the UK dropped demands covering American users.
• Reporting indicates US pressure has eased after the order was narrowed to British users; Computer Weekly notes the TCN was approved by Investigatory Powers Commissioner Brian Leveson and that agencies require warrants signed by a judicial commissioner to access data.
• Apple and groups including Privacy International and Liberty have challenged the notices at the Investigatory Powers Tribunal, as campaigners warn that a UK‑only backdoor would create vulnerabilities affecting users globally.