UK government tries again to access encrypted Apple customer data: report | TechCrunch

"The U.K. government is still trying to gain access to encrypted iCloud data, according to the Financial Times after British officials allegedly filed a new secret order demanding Apple build a backdoor On Wednesday, the British newspaper reported that the U.K. Home Office sent an order to Apple earlier in September requesting that the tech giant creates a system to let officials access encrypted cloud backups of British citizens."

"This is the second time that the U.K. government sent Apple what is called a "technical capability notice," after the U.K. government's first order issued in January. At that time, the U.K. Home Office was seeking access to cloud-stored backups of any Apple user account worldwide that was protected by Advanced Data Protection (ADP), an opt-in feature that allows users to make their iCloud backups end-to-end encrypted so that not even Apple can access the data."

"That first order, made under the U.K.'s Investigatory Powers Act 2016, also known by critics as the "Snoopers' Charter," forced Apple to turn off the ability to enroll in ADP for new users in the U.K. and eventually to disable it for existing users as well. "As we have said many times before, we have never built a back door or master key to any of our products or services and we never will," Apple said at the time."

The U.K. Home Office sent a September order requesting that Apple create a system to allow officials to access encrypted iCloud cloud backups of British citizens. Privacy activists warned that complying would harm user privacy worldwide. This marks a second technical capability notice following a January order that targeted Advanced Data Protection (ADP), an opt-in end-to-end encryption feature for iCloud backups. The earlier order forced Apple to disable ADP enrollment and eventual access for existing users in the U.K. Apple stated it has not and will not build a backdoor. Apple challenged the demand in court and a ruling required the process not be secret.

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