UK government demanded more access to Apple iCloud data than first thought

The UK government's demand for Apple to create a backdoor to enable access to its encrypted data was broader and more intrusive than previously understood, according to a new court document seen by the Financial Times. A filing from the Investigatory Powers Tribunal (IPT) suggests that the Technical Capability Notice (TCN) issued under the Investigatory Powers Act (IPA)  sought access not only to Apple's Advanced Data Protection (ADP) but also to its standard iCloud service, which is used by a much wider customer base. The document, which contains "assumed facts" for the upcoming judicial hearing, indicates the government's demand was not limited to UK citizens, but applied to all iCloud users globally.

The filing contradicts recent claims by Trump administration officials, who had stated the UK agreed to drop its efforts to access American citizens' private data. The court document also reveals that the Home Office has yet to modify its demand for access to data belonging to customers outside the UK. A UK government spokesperson said they do not comment on operational matters or confirm the existence of such notices. The IPT's methodology of using "assumed facts" allows the case to proceed without breaching the Official Secrets Act.

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