THE UK government has reportedly told Apple to hand over access the encrypted cloud data of any iPhone or iPad owner worldwide.
The Home Office issued an order for the request last month under the Investigatory Powers Act 2016, the Washington Post reported.
In its security support pages, Apple says it believes “privacy is a fundamental human right”[/caption]
The 2016 legislation allows the government to compel companies to grant access to data that could be used as evidence in an investigation.
The order asked for blanket access to fully encrypted material, the Post reported, not just access to a specific Apple account.
Encrypted material is data that has essentially been scrambled into a secret code, that cannot be decoded by anyone – even the company doing the scrambling.
So all the pictures, videos and files that are saved to Apple’s iCloud, and then encrypted, are visible to you and only you.
In its security support pages, Apple says it believes “privacy is a fundamental human right”.
The order might prompt Apple to stop offering encrypted storage in the UK, the Post reported, citing sources, to avoid a U-turn on its security promises.
During a Parliamentary debate over changes to the Investigatory Powers Act, Apple warned in March that the law allowed the government to open back doors that could apply around the world.
“These provisions could be used to force a company like Apple, that would never build a back door into its products, to publicly withdraw critical security features from the UK market, depriving UK users of these protections,” the company wrote.
The Sun has contacted Apple for a statement, however, the order notice cannot legally be made public.
A Home Office spokesperson said: “We do not comment on operational matters, including for example confirming or denying the existence of any such notices.”
Apple can appeal against the UK’s order, but cannot delay its application during the appeal process.
“We are extremely troubled by reports that the UK Government has ordered Apple to create a backdoor that would effectively break encryption for millions of users – an unprecedented attack on privacy rights that has no place in any democracy,” said Rebecca Vincent, interim director of privacy at civil liberties campaign group Big Brother Watch.
“Big Brother Watch has been ringing alarm bells about the possibility of precisely this scenario since the adoption of the Investigatory Powers Bill in 2016.”
The UK government has previously pressed tech companies like Apple, Signal and Meta-owned WhatsApp, over its encryption of messages.
The Online Safety Bill, which passed in 2023, states that if there are concerns about child abuse content or terrorism, tech companies might have to access encrypted user data.
At the time, Apple’s iMessage, Signal and WhatsApp said they could not view anybody’s messages without destroying existing privacy protections for all users.
WhatsApp went as far as to threaten leaving the UK, rather than compromise on its security.
Vincent added: “We all want the Government to be able to effectively tackle crime and terrorism, but breaking encryption will not make us safer.
“Instead it will erode the fundamental rights and civil liberties of the entire population – and it will not stop with Apple.
“We urge the UK Government to immediately rescind this draconian order and cease attempts to employ mass surveillance in lieu of the targeted powers already at their disposal.”
The UK government has previously pressed tech companies like Apple, Signal and Meta-owned WhatsApp, over its encryption of messages[/caption]
