UK backs down in Apple iCloud encryption dispute
19/08/2025 | Financial Times
An article in the Financial Times (£) reports that the UK government has backed down from its demand for Apple to create a backdoor into its Advanced Data Protection (ADP) iCloud encryption, resolving a diplomatic dispute with the Trump administration. According to US officials, Vice President JD Vance and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard intervened to ensure the UK withdrew its Technical Capability Notice (TCN) issued under the Investigatory Powers Act (IPA). In a statement, Gabbard said: "Over the past few months, I've been working closely with our partners in the UK, alongside President Trump and vice-president Vance, to ensure Americans' private data remains private and our constitutional rights and civil liberties are protected."
British officials confirmed the issue is now settled, with one describing the UK as having "caved" to the pressure. However, the UK has yet to formally rescind the TCN, and while unlikely, it remains unclear whether it will issue a new notice with different terms.
In a statement responding to the news, Interim Director at digital rights group Big Brother Watch, Rebecca Vincent, said: "Tulsi Gabbard's statement that the UK has agreed to drop its order to Apple to provide an encryption backdoor is a welcome step towards protecting the privacy of millions of Apple users in the UK. 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.
"Regardless, addressing only this order is alleviating a symptom rather than the wider problem. It does not guarantee that other TCNs will not be issued in the future, nor do we have any way of knowing whether similar orders may already have been issued to other technology companies. The mass surveillance powers created through the Investigatory Powers Act remain a significant threat to privacy rights in the UK. This draconian law is unfit for purpose and should be amended to protect privacy rights without delay."
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