UK Government may have to back down in Apple iCloud encryption dispute

The UK government is seeking a way to resolve a dispute with the US government concerning the Technical Capability Notice (TCN) under the Investigatory Powers Act (IPA), requiring Apple to create a backdoor into its Advanced Data Protection (ADP) iCloud encryption. According to two senior British officials, the Home Office, which issued the TCN in January, is likely to be forced to back down due to pressure from Washington, including Vice President JD Vance.

The officials highlighted that the UK's demands have been repeatedly raised by the Trump administration and could pose a threat to technology agreements with the US. "This is something that the vice-president is very annoyed about and which needs to be resolved. The Home Office is basically going to have to back down," one official said. The issue poses a significant challenge for the UK's digital trade strategy, which prioritises AI and data partnerships. The other senior government official criticised the Home Office's mishandling of the Apple encryption issue, describing it as a "problem of its own making."

Meanwhile, Privacy International (PI) confirmed that the Investigatory Powers Tribunal has outlined the next steps in the legal challenges brought by Apple and PI against the TCN order issued by the Home Office. A seven-day hearing is scheduled for early 2026 to hear both cases, with the Tribunal aiming to hear much of the cases in public, based on assumed facts.

PI also confirmed that WhatsApp's application to intervene has been denied.

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