The UK government is probably looking for a way out of its fight with Apple so that the encrypted iCloud can have backdoor access to the user’s data. The direction change can be the result of continuous pressure from the United States during the trade talks between the two countries.
Senior British officials told the Financial Times that the UK is likely to withdraw from its demands to avoid further confrontation with the Trump administration. The ruling was a point for the dispute between the two countries, and an official says Vice President JD Venus was strongly opposed to the British demand.
A challenge for Tech Partnership that we are working on is the problem of encryption. This is a big red line in the United States. They do not want us to mess up with our tech companies.
Anonymous British Officer, Financial Times, July 21, 2025
Earlier this year, the UK issued a secret order that Apple was asked to provide a backdoor, which would allow it access to encrypted data and files worldwide. The demand was issued under the 2016 Investigation Powers Act, also known as the snipers charter. Part of this order was that Apple could not inform users if their data security was weakened and they could not talk about it publicly. Apple disabled the modern data protection option for users in the UK, and effectively removed the encryption for British users. The company refused to provide access to the requested backdoor, challenged the order at a secret hearing, and later won the right to publicly discuss the subject.
Meanwhile, various reports claim that the demand has spread bilateral anger in the United States. The topic was reportedly revealed during a conversation between the United Kingdom and the United States.
Apple’s advanced data protection feature is not on default, but it provides additional protection to the iCloud steward data. The feature ends the encryption from the end to the end, which means that Apple can’t even access files.
I have never been surprised by the UK government’s pressure against Apple, but I am thankful that there is a reaction against it, and I hope the problem can unite people in the political arena. The UK is certainly not the only country that wants to get rid of encryption from the end under the routine of national security, so we will need to move forward against such measures.
