UK Abandons Controversial Demand for Apple ‘Back Door’ Access to User Data after U.S. Pressure
The UK government has withdrawn its contentious demand for Apple to create a means of accessing user data encrypted within their technology, following pressure from the U.S. administration. This move preserves a crucial assurance made by Apple to its users, as the company maintains it has never and will not construct a backdoor or master key for its products.
The UK’s request could have potentially compromised global privacy, particularly for iCloud users worldwide, as even Apple typically lacks access to such data.
U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard confirmed on Monday that the UK has withdrawn its mandate for Apple to provide a backdoor to protected encrypted data, thus infringing upon American civil liberties.
Over the past few months, Gabbard has reportedly been collaborating with her counterparts in the UK, alongside President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, to reach this agreement. A source familiar with the discussions revealed that Gabbard spoke with Matt Collins, the UK’s Deputy National Security Advisory, multiple times about the issue, including during a visit by the UK delegation to the White House. Vance was also said to have been personally involved in negotiations, engaging directly with British government officials to finalize an agreement beneficial to both nations, according to a White House official.
The British Home Office allegedly issued the order under the Investigatory Powers Act, which allows UK law enforcement to compel tech companies to provide access to communications and metadata in secret. However, the agency has not confirmed whether such a demand was made. The Home Office did not respond to CNN’s request for comment on Tuesday.
Reports of the order earlier this year sparked concern among security experts and tech leaders, who feared Apple could be used by foreign governments for user spying. In February, Apple rolled back Advanced Data Protection (ADP), a data security feature for iCloud, for UK users. The feature offered optional end-to-end encryption for personal data such as photos and messages, ensuring that only the account holder, not even Apple itself, could view this information. Without end-to-end encryption, Apple could potentially access users’ data, making it legally compellable to hand over to aid in investigating crimes.
The removal of ADP for UK users was seen as an attempt to strengthen security for users worldwide amid the UK government’s demand for a technical back door. However, this measure did not directly address the UK’s global data access request. Apple expressed disappointment at the time, stating that it was unfortunate to no longer offer ADP to UK users, given the increasing threats to user privacy.
Apple has yet to comment on the UK government’s withdrawal of the demand. Tech executives, including Apple CEO Tim Cook, have reportedly been cultivating close relationships with the Trump administration in hopes of securing support for key policy and regulatory issues.
This development marks another instance of the Trump administration persuading a foreign government to reconsider regulation affecting an American tech company. In June, Canada announced plans to rescind a digital services tax, which Trump had previously denounced as a “direct and blatant attack” on the U.S. and its companies, in order to reinitiate trade negotiations with the US.