The U.S. director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, said earlier today that the U.K.’s controversial order to mandate Apple Inc. to open a backdoor to user data has been dropped.
Gabbard wrote on X that after working with U.K. authorities to “ensure Americans’ private data remains private” and “constitutional rights and civil liberties are protected,” the order is no more.
“We do not comment on operational matters, including confirming or denying the existence of such notices,” said the British Home Office. “We have long had joint security and intelligence arrangements with the US to tackle the most serious threats, such as terrorism and child sexual abuse, including the role played by fast-moving technology in enabling those threats.”
Earlier this year, Apple confirmed the request, stating that it had been asked to implement a backdoor in its iCloud file storage service, which would give the U.K. access to encrypted data. The order centered on Advanced Data Protection, or ADP, an encryption system that the company rolled out for iCloud in 2023.
Apple itself cannot access its users’ data if they’ve activated ADP. To do so, the company would have to break its own encryption methods. “We have never built a backdoor or master key to any of our products or services, and we never will,” the company said in a statement.
Apple’s response was to withdraw ADP from the U.K. market, after which it started a legal challenge that was due to be heard at a tribunal in early 2026. The company appealed through the Investigatory Powers Tribunal, which later rejected a bid from the British Home Office to keep the proceedings secret.
The order frustrated privacy campaigners, who called it reckless and unlawful, prompting Privacy International to launch its own legal challenge. President Trump compared the U.K. to China. U.S. Vice President JD Vance weighed in, saying it was “crazy” that “we’re creating a backdoor in our own technology networks that our enemies are now using.” He added, “I don’t want American citizens to be spied on.”
Though it looks like a win for Apple and privacy advocates, it’s not clear what kind of new agreement has been reached. The U.S. and U.K. are still obliged to share data for law enforcement purposes under the “Data Access Agreement.”
Photo: Unsplash
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