Apple has launched a legal challenge against the British government over a directive requiring the company to create a backdoor for encrypted iCloud accounts, according to reports by the Financial Times.
The technology giant has filed a complaint with the Investigatory Powers Tribunal (IPT), an independent judicial body, seeking to reverse the order.
The dispute began after a leak revealed that UK authorities, under the 2016 Investigatory Powers Act, had tasked Apple with developing a mechanism to allow law enforcement access to encrypted iCloud backups. In response, Apple has maintained that it has never built, nor will ever build, a backdoor or master key for any of its products or services. Instead, the company announced plans to end national access to its strongly encrypted version of iCloud storage, known as Advanced Data Protection.
UK security minister Dan Jarvis defended the government’s demand, asserting that the Investigatory Powers Act includes robust safeguards and independent oversight, ensuring that any access to encrypted data is obtained only on an exceptional, necessary, and proportionate basis. The original request would have permitted UK law enforcement to access an encrypted iCloud account following judicial approval of a warrant, although Apple has noted that it does not have access to this data itself.
The IPT has accepted Apple’s challenge and is expected to consider the case as early as this month. It remains unclear whether the hearing will be open to the public, as the government is likely to argue that the case should be restricted on national security grounds.
Apple has not provided further comment on its legal action, aside from reiterating its longstanding commitment to user privacy and encryption.
Read next
16:12
President Donald Trump on Friday threatened a 25% import tax on iPhones made outside the U.S. and called for a 50% tariff on all EU imports starting in June, pressuring Apple and escalating his broader trade stanc
21:30
Brussels has fined Apple and Meta over €700 million combined, launching its first crackdown under the Digital Markets Act aimed at curbing big tech’s power and boosting competition in the digital economy.
17:00
Apple and Meta have been fined €500 million and €200 million respectively by the European Union for breaching the bloc’s new Digital Markets Act, escalating tensions in the transatlantic tech trade dispute.
13:25
Trade tactic
Apple has airlifted 1.5 million iPhones from India to the U.S. to avoid Trump’s steep China tariffs, using chartered flights and fast-tracked customs clearance in Chennai as it boosts Indian production and shifts its global supply chain.
20:06
Trump Tariffs
In response to the recent imposition of substantial U.S tariffs on Chinese imports, several American companies are actively relocating their manufacturing operations to mitigate financial risks and maintain competitive pricing.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment