Redazione RHC : 4 October 2025 11:09
The United Kingdom has again attempted to force Apple to access encrypted backups of user data stored on iCloud . The new request comes six months after the company disabled its most secure cloud storage feature, Advanced Data Protection, for all users in the country.
Apple’s decision followed an earlier, more restrictive request from the British government, which covered the data of not only UK residents but also US citizens, sparking a diplomatic row with Washington.
According to sources familiar with the matter, the UK Home Office sent Apple a notice in early September ordering it to implement a system to access encrypted data, but with the clarification that this requirement only applied to UK citizens.
Previously, in January, a similar notice under the Investigatory Powers Act provided global coverage, prompting a harsh reaction from the Trump administration. In response, Apple suspended ADP mode in the UK in February and filed a complaint with the Surveillance Tribunal.
The company stated that it cannot yet offer advanced data protection to new users in the UK, which raises serious concerns given the growing number of data breaches and threats to digital privacy . Apple reiterated that it does not create, nor does it intend to create, universal access keys or hidden mechanisms to circumvent encryption in its products and services.
Under current legislation, the parties are not authorized to comment on the content of technical notifications. However, representatives of the Ministry of the Interior emphasized that the agency will continue to take all possible measures internally to ensure the safety of citizens.
Meanwhile, human rights organizations warn that even partial implementation of these requirements poses a threat to users worldwide . According to lawyers, any weakening of end-to-end encryption in one region automatically leaves systems vulnerable globally , as the resulting flaw could be exploited by attackers or government agencies in other countries.
The legal campaign against the British authorities’ requests, launched by Apple with the support of human rights organizations Privacy International and Liberty, was supposed to be heard next year. However, the new notification could reopen the legal proceedings.
Requests for data disclosure are issued as technical notices (TCNs) and are made under the Investigatory Powers Act, which allows intelligence agencies to access encrypted information for the purposes of combating terrorism and crimes against children.
In January, this tool provoked a sharp reaction from senior US officials, including Vice President J.D. Vance and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. They urged the UK to abandon its requests for access to US user data, emphasizing that any interference with Apple systems weakens security in other countries as well.
During Donald Trump’s recent visit to London, where he and Prime Minister Kiir Starmer announced multibillion-dollar investments in AI infrastructure in the UK, representatives of the American delegation once again raised the issue of the conflict with Apple. However, according to some sources, the US administration is no longer pushing to revoke the latest warning, as it does not affect American user data.
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