UK government security officials will pull their demand for access to the encrypted iCloud data of Apple customers, says U.S. Director of Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard.
Gabbard, in a post on X, said that the UK had dropped its plans to force Apple to provide a back door allowing them to access “the protected encrypted data of American citizens and encroached on our civil liberties.”
Gabbard said the move ensures that “Americans’ private data remains private and our Constitutional rights and civil liberties are protected.”
The Financial Times reported that its sources say that while the UK has indeed agreed to withdraw the order, the government has not yet formally withdrawn it. The BBC reports that Apple has not yet received any formal communication from either the US or the UK government.
In February, we reported that the British government had secretly ordered Apple to provide a backdoor to allow access to all user content uploaded to iCloud, not only in the UK, but around the globe.
The order required Apple to provide backdoor access to allow UK security officials to access encrypted user data worldwide. Such a demand from a so-called “free” country is unprecedented.
The spying order was included in a “technical capability notice,” document sent to Apple by the Home Secretary. The document ordered the Cupertino company to provide access under the sweeping UK Investigatory Powers Act (IPA) of 2016. The act has been labeled the “Snooper’s Charter” by critics, as it authorizes law enforcement to compel assistance from companies when needed to collect evidence.
In late February, two key members of U.S. congressional oversight committees urged then-new national intelligence director Tulsi Gabbard to demand the United Kingdom rescind its demand.
U.S. senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) and representative Andy Biggs (R-AZ) wrote to Gabbard, warning of the risks the order posed to American citizens’ privacy and security. The bipartisan letter told Gabbard that if the U.K. government didn’t back down on its demands, the U.S. should consider pulling out of intelligence sharing and cybersecurity cooperation that has existed between the two allies.
A week after that, Apple turned off its Advanced Data Protection iCloud feature for users in the United Kingdom, rather than compromising its security and privacy standards. When Apple users in the UK attempted to enable ADP, they would see a banner that reads, “Apple can no longer offer Advanced Data Protection (ADP) in the United Kingdom to new users.”
Hopefully, Apple will soon be able to once again enable ADP for its UK users, protecting their data from snoopy government bullies.