A pair of US lawmakers are now demanding UK officials to brief them about their continued push to gain access to users’ encrypted private iCloud data.
Apple has battled both the UK and US governments as both have pushed for access to iCloud users’ data. All iCloud data is end-to-end encrypted, with no one other than users having the ability to decrypt the data. Even Apple cannot access users’ encrypted data.
Now, Reuters reports two US lawmakers are playing the hero role, demanding more information about the UK’s plans for accessing Apple users’ iCloud data. U.S. House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan and Foreign Affairs Chair Brian Mast on Wednesday asked the UK government for a briefing about the situation, saying there is a need for public awareness on the matter.
The duo says any backdoor to encrypted data could be misused by bad actors and authoritarian governments to access users’ iCloud data. You know, the same argument Apple has used when the US government has been in search of a backdoor.
Jordan and Mast sent a letter to Shabana Mahmood, Britain’s secretary of state for the Home Department, saying a briefing is required to allow US lawmakers to “fully understand the actions taken by the UK government with respect to the technical capability notice (TCN) issued to Apple,” as only then could there be a “mature and informed public debate.”
“We respectfully ask that the Home Office and UK Embassy to the United States arrange for the briefing to occur as soon as possible, but no later than 10:00 a.m. ET on March 11, 2026,” continued the pair.
Apple has long pushed back on government requests to gain access to its users’ iCloud data. The UK in January 2025, made a secret request to Apple for access not only to UK iCloud users’ data, but that of users around the globe. US lawmakers reacted then, with US lawmakers pressuring National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard to take a look at the issue.
Gabbard later expressed “great concern,” about the UK’s secret order.
Apple refused to bow to the UK’s request, and instead disabled Advanced Data Protection in the country.