UK security officials have ordered Apple to create a backdoor allowing access to all user data stored in the cloud, raising serious privacy concerns. The order, issued under the Investigatory Powers Act, requires unrestricted access to encrypted data, potentially forcing Apple to weaken security measures for its users globally. Apple is expected to challenge the directive, but the law does not permit delays in compliance during the appeal process.
Security officials in the UK have ordered Apple to create a backdoor granting them access to all content any Apple user worldwide has uploaded to the cloud. This demand, issued under the UK's Investigatory Powers Act of 2016, requires unrestricted access to encrypted data rather than assistance with specific accounts. If implemented, it would set a significant precedent, undermining tech companies' longstanding efforts to protect user privacy.
Rather than compromise the security assurances made to its users, Apple is expected to discontinue encrypted storage in the UK. However, this move would not satisfy the demand for access to encrypted content stored in other countries, including the United States. The order prohibits Apple from notifying users if their data security is weakened, further raising concerns about privacy and government surveillance.Apple has the option to challenge the directive before a secret technical panel and a judge, but the law does not permit delays in compliance during the appeal process. In March, anticipating such a demand, the company warned that the UK should not have the authority to determine global encryption standards. Apple has positioned itself as a champion of user privacy, previously resisting government efforts to weaken encryption, including a request from the FBI to unlock an iPhone linked to a terrorist attack. The UK government argues that encryption enables criminals and terrorists to evade law enforcement. Security agencies in the US and UK have voiced concerns about its growing use beyond traditional phone traffic. However, tech companies insist that weakening encryption would create vulnerabilities exploitable by hackers and authoritarian regimes. Other companies have also taken strong positions on encryption. Google, which has encrypted Android backups by default since 2018, has stated that it cannot access such data even with a legal order. Meta offers encrypted backups for WhatsApp but maintains that it will not implement backdoors. If the UK gains access to encrypted data, other governments, including China, could demand the same, potentially forcing Apple to withdraw the service entirely.
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