- A UK court has confirmed a legal challenge against the British Government
- Apple is taking action over an encryption backdoor request
- The tech giant's end-to-end encryption has been removed in the UK
In the latest development of the ongoing privacy dispute between Apple and the UK Government, a British court has officially confirmed the company has launched a legal challenge.
Campaigners have been pushing for transparency in the legal challenge, and the Investigatory Powers Tribunal rejected the attempt by the government to keep the “bare details” of the case secret, the Financial Times reports.
Early in 2025, Apple removed its option for end-to-end encryption, Advanced Data Protection, following a request by the British Government for Apple to build a “backdoor” into the encryption for law enforcement agencies.
Monitor your credit score with TransUnion starting at $29.95/month
TransUnion is a credit monitoring service that helps you stay on top of your financial health. With real-time alerts, credit score tracking, and identity theft protection, it ensures you never miss important changes. You'll benefit from a customizable online interface with clear insights into your credit profile. Businesses also benefit from TransUnion’s advanced risk assessment tools.
Preferred partner (What does this mean?)
Ongoing litigation
The court confirmed it, “did not accept the revelation of the bare details of the case would be damaging to the public interest or prejudicial to national security”, having heard submissions from privacy campaigners, media organizations, and even US senators.
Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but has reaffirmed its promise to “never build a backdoor”.
The firm has previously denied requests from the FBI for a similar law enforcement master key - although the current Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, called the UK's request a ‘clear and egregious violation of American’s privacy and civil liberties’, since the backdoor could theoretically be used against citizens outside of the UK.
The tech giant and privacy campaigners argue that once a backdoor is built, threat actors could potentially steal access to private data, and governments could abuse their powers with enhanced surveillance.
Our readers overwhelmingly disagree with proposals to build a master key for law enforcement, with 67% of surveyed respondents saying that their data is private, and that they wouldn’t want their Government to have access.
For now, British Apple users won’t have access to Advanced Data Protection - so users should consider another type of cloud storage solution if they want to enjoy end-to-end encryption.
You might also like
- Take a look at our picks for the best AI tools around
- Tackling the UK's cybersecurity skills shortage
- Millions of solar power systems could be at risk of cyber attacks after researchers find flurry of vulnerabilities
