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   UK agrees to drop its Apple encryption backdoor request  but digital rights   
   experts aren't ready to celebrate   
      
   Date:   
   Tue, 19 Aug 2025 14:42:16 +0000   
      
   Description:   
   For now, the power to undermine encryption remains in the UK law under the   
   Investigatory Powers Act. Digital rights experts now call for an amendment.   
      
   FULL STORY   
      
   The UK has agreed to back down on its request to create an encryption    
   backdoor into Apple's iCloud system for authorities to access.    
      
   The US Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, confirmed the UK   
   U-turn in a post on X on Monday , August 18, 2025, adding that such a    
   backdoor "would have enabled access to the protected encrypted data of   
   American citizens and encroached on our civil liberties."    
      
   While welcoming the decision, digital rights experts aren't quite ready to   
   call it a victory. The power to undermine encryption remains in the UK law,   
   fueling calls for an amendment.   
      
   UK's U-turn on iCloud's backdoor    
      
   Apple killed its iCloud's end-to-end encryption feature in the UK in February   
   after it was hit by a Technical Capability Notice (TCN) under the 2016   
   Investigatory Powers Act, instead of creating the requested backdoor. The Big   
   Tech giant has challenged this request in Court since April.    
      
   US officials, including Vice President JD Vance, have reportedly strongly   
   opposed the UK order, warning against "systemic vulnerabilities" that such a   
   backdoor could create.    
      
   While not a default feature, once enabled, Apple's Advanced Data Protection   
   (ADP) provides an extra layer of protection across all iCloud-stored data by   
   using end-to-end encryption technology, meaning not even Apple can access the   
   files. It's an extra measure of protection that Brits have been unable to use   
   for months.    
      
   A UK government spokesperson told Reuters that both countries have worked   
   together to tackle security threats and ensure citizens' privacy remains   
   protected.    
      
   Apple has yet to share more details on how and when ADP is set to be   
   reintroduced for UK users.   
      
   "A welcome step"    
      
   US officials were far from the only party concerned about the negative impact   
   that a backdoor into Apple's advanced encryption could have had on people's   
   privacy and security.    
      
   Over 100 internet leaders, academics, organizations, and companies also    
   raised the alarm only a few days after authorities issued the encryption   
   backdoor order .    
      
    Encryption is a technology responsible for preventing unauthorized access to   
   user data. Specifically, the best VPN and secure messaging apps use    
   end-to-end encryption to ensure online communications remain private between   
   the sender and the receiver. A level of protection that is increasingly   
   becoming crucial as major cyberattacks like the Salt Typhoon attack are now   
   the norm.    
      
   That's why digital rights groups have welcomed the UK's decision to back down   
   on Apple's encryption backdoor request. The Home Office has reportedly agreed   
   to DROP its demand that Apple allow government spying on encrypted   
   messages.This is a welcome step towards protecting the privacy of millions of   
   users in the UK.   
      
   In a post on X , the Interim Director of Big Brother Watch, Rebecca Vincent,   
   said: "This is a welcome step towards protecting the privacy of millions of   
   users in the UK."    
      
   That said, the power to issue similar encryption backdoor orders still    
   remains a possibility in the UK law under the Investigatory Powers Act .    
      
   This is why, according to experts, an amendment to these powers is what    
   should come next.    
      
   "We repeat our call on the Home Office to drop its use of Technical    
   Capability Notices (TCNs) seeking to break encryption, which represents a   
   serious threat to our ability to communicate privately," said again Vincent,   
   arguing that the Investigatory Powers Act " is unfit for purpose and should    
   be amended to protect privacy rights without delay."   
      
   ======================================================================   
   Link to news story:   
   https://www.techradar.com/computing/cyber-security/uk-agrees-to-drop-its-apple   
   -encryption-backdoor-request-but-digital-rights-experts-arent-ready-to-celebra   
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