The UK has withdrawn from a disputed directive that would have compelled Apple to implement a backdoor for American users’ information, as stated by US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. Here are the specifics.
In a post on X, Gabbard indicated that the choice followed months of collaboration with President Trump and Vice President Vance “to guarantee that Americans’ private information stays private.” She mentioned that, subsequently, the UK has consented to eliminate the directive.
As reported by Reuters, “British Prime Minister Keir Starmer was in Washington on Monday alongside other European leaders to meet Trump and deliberate on Russia’s conflict in Ukraine,” hinting that this matter might have also been addressed.
### A Bit of Context
In January, as initially reported by The Washington Post, UK officials privately issued a so-called technical capability notice under the nation’s Investigatory Powers Act, a statute that grants the government extensive authority to compel technology firms to compromise encryption.
The directive would have necessitated Apple to disable Advanced Data Protection for iCloud (ADP) for US users, permitting UK agencies to access cloud backups, voice memos, and other encrypted materials.
In reaction to the directive, Apple eliminated iCloud end-to-end encryption functionalities for the UK. In a statement given to 9to5Mac at that time, the company conveyed disappointment that the protections offered by ADP would not be accessible to UK clients, stressing the urgency of improving cloud storage security with end-to-end encryption.
While the mandate has been rescinded, signifying a victory for Apple and for privacy in general, there is currently no information regarding when, or if, ADP will be reinstated in the UK, nor how this affects other users globally.
