The UK Is Still Trying to Backdoor Encryption for Apple Users

"The demand uses a power called a "Technical Capability Notice" (TCN) in the U.K.'s Investigatory Powers Act. we noted this law would likely be used to demand Apple spy on its users. At the time of its signing After the U.K. government first issued the TCN in January, Apple was forced to either create a backdoor or block its Advanced Data Protection feature-which turns on end-to-end encryption for iCloud-for all U.K. users. The company decided to remove the feature in the U.K. instead of creating the backdoor."

"This is still an unsettling overreach that makes U.K. users less safe and less free. As we've said and , any backdoor built for the government puts everyone at greater risk of hacking, identity theft, and fraud. It sets a dangerous precedent to demand similar data from other companies, and provides a runway for other authoritarian governments to issue comparable orders. The news of continued server-side access to users' data comes just days after the UK government announced an intrusive mandatory digital ID scheme , framed as a measure against illegal migration."

The U.K. government issued a Technical Capability Notice under the Investigatory Powers Act demanding that Apple create a backdoor into encrypted iCloud backups. Apple previously chose to remove Advanced Data Protection for U.K. users rather than build the backdoor. The revised order is reportedly limited to British users, but server-side access for one country weakens encryption protections globally. Any government-mandated backdoor increases risks of hacking, identity theft, and fraud and creates a precedent for other companies and authoritarian regimes. A tribunal hearing was scheduled for January 2026, and the legal process remains uncertain.

Read at Electronic Frontier Foundation