In a significant move, UK security officials have reportedly instructed Apple to create a backdoor that would allow access to the iCloud backups of users worldwide. According to a report by The Washington Post, this directive stemmed from a technical capability notice received by Apple from the UK Home Secretary's office last month. This notice is rooted in the Investigatory Powers Act of 2016, a controversial law that expanded the surveillance abilities of British intelligence agencies and law enforcement.
Though the precise contents of the document have not been publicly shared, it is indicated that Apple must facilitate unrestricted access to end-to-end encrypted files uploaded by users around the globe, not just those based in the UK. If enforced, this requirement would set a precedent, marking a major democratic government's demand for a large tech company to compromise user data privacy. Apple has not yet issued an official statement regarding this development.
As the tech giant contemplates its response to the UK's demands, one potential avenue could involve Apple discontinuing its Advanced Data Protection option specifically for UK users. However, such a move would still leave the UK government's request for access to data from users based outside of the UK unaddressed.
