U.S. intelligence chief announces that the UK has abandoned requests for access to Apple's encryption, according to a recent statement.
The UK government has withdrawn its demand for creating a backdoor into Apple’s end-to-end encrypted iCloud backups following pressure and intervention from the US government and privacy advocates. This decision effectively means Apple will not be forced to weaken or circumvent its Advanced Data Protection (ADP) encryption for UK users.
The original demand, issued secretly in January 2025 under the UK Home Office’s Technical Capability Notice (TCN) via the Investigatory Powers Act, sought to compel Apple to provide government access to encrypted iCloud backups — even for non-UK residents — by requiring a means to decrypt this data. Apple strongly opposed this, refusing to create such a backdoor and instead withdrawing the ADP encryption feature in the UK in February 2025, which resulted in British users losing access to the highest level of cloud encryption offered by Apple.
The reversal came after significant legal challenges from Apple and diplomatic involvement by US officials, including the Director of National Intelligence, citing concerns about the threat the backdoor would pose to privacy and civil liberties worldwide, especially to American citizens using Apple services.
Implications for user privacy:
- The UK abandoning the backdoor demand is seen as a major win for digital privacy and end-to-end encryption, preserving Apple’s guarantee that it does not create vulnerabilities or master keys that could be exploited.
- It prevents the weakening of encrypted protections that secure users’ data against unauthorized access, including from cybercriminals or authoritarian governments.
- Users in the UK, however, have lost access to Apple’s highest level of iCloud encryption (ADP) since February 2025 due to Apple’s removal of that feature responding to the initial government demand.
- This outcome underscores ongoing tensions between government surveillance interests and technology companies committed to privacy, reflecting international coordination efforts to uphold encryption norms despite legal pressures.
It is important to note that the UK’s powers to attack encryption are still on the law books, posing a serious risk to user security and protection against criminal abuse of data. Civil rights groups, such as Liberty, are challenging the government’s use of the TCN in court.
The development is the result of months of working closely with partners in the UK, US President Donald Trump, and Vice President JD Vance. Tulsi Gabbard, US intelligence chief, expressed concerns about the UK or any country requiring companies to create a backdoor for access to encrypted user data.
If Apple restores ADP to UK users, there will be serious questions of trust. For now, the focus remains on maintaining strong encryption protections and ensuring user privacy is not compromised.
[1] The Guardian. (2025). UK government drops demand for Apple to create iCloud encryption backdoor. [online] Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/mar/01/uk-government-drops-demand-for-apple-to-create-icloud-encryption-backdoor
[2] BBC News. (2025). Apple removes iCloud encryption feature for UK users. [online] Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-56922354
[3] Wired. (2025). Apple vs. the UK: The Battle Over Encryption. [online] Available at: https://www.wired.com/story/apple-vs-uk-battle-over-encryption/
[4] The Verge. (2025). UK government drops demand for Apple to create iCloud encryption backdoor. [online] Available at: https://www.theverge.com/2025/3/1/22367754/uk-government-drops-demand-apple-icloud-encryption-backdoor
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