Apple has initiated legal action against the UK government’s demand to access its customers’ private encrypted data. The case has been filed with the Investigatory Powers Tribunal, an independent court that handles complaints against the Security Services.
Background of the Case
- The dispute arose when the UK Home Office issued a secret order in January.
- The order required Apple to share encrypted user data globally in cases of national security threats.
- Apple’s Advanced Data Protection (ADP) tool, which provides end-to-end encryption, was targeted.
Why Apple Refused
- Data encrypted with standard encryption can be accessed by Apple with a warrant.
- However, the ADP feature prevents Apple from accessing encrypted data, even under legal demands.
- Apple claims that complying would require building a backdoor, compromising user privacy.
Apple’s Response
- The company chose to remove ADP from the UK market instead of breaching customer trust.
- Apple stated it would never compromise its security features.
- The decision received criticism from both UK authorities and the US government.
Global Reaction
- US President Donald Trump compared the UK’s request to surveillance policies in China.
- US intelligence officials, including Tulsi Gabbard, expressed concerns over the privacy violation.
- Investigations are underway to check if the request violates the US-UK data sharing agreement.
Legal Proceedings
- The legal case is expected to be heard in the coming weeks.
- Details of the tribunal hearing may remain confidential due to the sensitive nature of the request.
- The UK government maintains that such demands are made only in exceptional cases of serious crimes.
Apple has declined to comment further on the ongoing case, while the Home Office neither confirmed nor denied the existence of the secret order.
