The UK Government has reportedly ordered Apple to provide a backdoor that would allow secret surveillance of users’ encrypted cloud accounts around the world.
The Washington Post reports that the UK government has issued a secret order compelling Apple to create a backdoor that would give security officials blanket access to view fully encrypted data uploaded by any Apple user worldwide to the company’s cloud storage service, according to people familiar with the matter. The undisclosed demand, made last month under the UK’s sweeping Investigatory Powers Act of 2016, has no known precedent in major democracies.
If Apple complies with the order, it would mark a significant defeat for tech companies in their long-standing efforts to avoid being used as surveillance tools by governments against their own users. Rather than compromise the privacy and security promises it has made, Apple is likely to cease offering encrypted cloud storage in the UK, the sources said. However, this would still not satisfy the British demand for backdoor access to the service in other countries, including the United States.
The UK Home Office served Apple with a “technical capability notice” under the Investigatory Powers Act, also known by critics as the “Snoopers’ Charter.” The law makes it a criminal offense for companies to reveal the existence of such demands. While Apple can appeal the notice to a secret technical panel and a judge, the law does not allow the company to delay compliance during an appeal process.
In March, Apple warned the UK Parliament that “there is no reason why the U.K. [government] should have the authority to decide for citizens of the world whether they can avail themselves of the proven security benefits that flow from end-to-end encryption.” A consultant advising the U.S. government on encryption matters expressed shock that Britain was demanding Apple’s assistance in spying on non-British users without the knowledge of their own governments.
Of course, other governments could have knowledge of this spying. It has been the case since the Second World War that members of the “Five Eyes” intelligence sharing agreement, as well as pooling their knowledge about world threats, have also spied on each others’ citizens. This circumvents national laws and checks on powers like warrants. While it may be illegal for the U.S. government to perform blanket intelligence harvesting on its own citizens, there is no law against the United Kingdom doing it, and then handing that data over to Washington. So when the United Kingdom government pushes for further surveillance powers of American tech giants, there’s a reasonable chance it is doing so on the behalf of American intelligence agencies.
The encrypted cloud storage at the center of the dispute, called Advanced Data Protection, was introduced by Apple as an optional security feature in 2022. While not enabled by default for most users, it provides enhanced protection against hacking and prevents routine law enforcement access to backed up photos, messages, and other data that is normally an easy target for search warrants served on Apple without user awareness.
Law enforcement agencies, particularly in the UK and U.S., have long complained that encryption allows terrorists and criminals to hide their activities. However, tech companies argue that backdoors can be exploited by bad actors and abused by authoritarian regimes, stressing the fundamental right to privacy in personal communications.
If the UK succeeds in gaining backdoor access, it could prompt demands from other countries like China that have so far permitted Apple’s encrypted storage service. Faced with such requests, Apple might choose to withdraw the feature entirely rather than comply.
Read more at the Washington Post here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship.
