UK government tries again to access encrypted Apple customer data: report

The British government is making another attempt to access encrypted iCloud data, as reported by the Financial Times. According to the report, officials from the U.K. Home Office submitted a secret order to Apple, requesting the tech giant to develop a backdoor that would allow access to the encrypted cloud backups of its citizens. This order, issued earlier in September, has sparked concerns among privacy advocates, who caution that acquiescing to such demands could severely compromise user privacy on a global scale. Both Apple and representatives from the U.K. Home Office have not commented on requests for clarification from TechCrunch. This marks the second occasion the U.K. government has issued a "technical capability notice" to Apple. The first instance occurred in January, when the Home Office sought access to cloud-stored backups of any Apple account worldwide that utilized Advanced Data Protection (ADP). This opt-in feature provides users with end-to-end encryption for their iCloud backups, ensuring that not even Apple can access the data. The initial request, made under the Investigatory Powers Act 2016—often referred to by critics as the "Snoopers' Charter"—led Apple to suspend the enrollment of new users in ADP within the U.K. and ultimately to deactivate it for existing users. At that time, Apple firmly stated, "We have never built a back door or master key to any of our products or services and we never will." The previous effort by the U.K. government to obtain this access was reportedly abandoned after negotiations with the Trump administration, as disclosed by U.S. National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard. Additionally, Apple contested the legal demand in court, which ruled that the proceedings should not remain confidential.