UK might back down from its fight with Apple over iCloud encryption
Pressure from Trump’s administration might’ve made the UK to abandon its fight with Apple
The government of the United Kingdom might be looking for a way out of its battle with Apple to get backdoor access to encrypted iCloud user data. The change of direction might be the result of continuing pressure from the US during the trade talks between the two countries.
Senior British officials told the Financial Times that the UK is likely to back off from its demands to avoid a further clash with the Trump administration. The order was a point of contention between the two countries, and one official says that Vice President JD Vance was strongly opposed to the UK’s demand.
Earlier this year, the UK issued a secret order asking Apple to provide it with a backdoor, which would’ve given it access to the encrypted data and files of users worldwide. The demand was issued under the 2016 Investigatory Powers Act, which is also known as the Snoopers’ Charter. Part of the order was that Apple couldn’t notify users if their data security was weakened and couldn’t publicly talk about it.
Meanwhile, various reports claimed that the demand sparked bipartisan outrage in the US. The topic was also reportedly brought up during talks between the UK and the US.
Apple’s Advanced Data Protection feature isn’t turned on by default, but it provides extra protection on iCloud-stored data. The feature activates end-to-end encryption, which means that even Apple couldn’t access the files.
I was never surprised by the UK government’s push against Apple, but I am grateful that there is backlash against it, and I hope this issue could unite people across the political spectrum. The UK is certainly not the only country that would like to get rid of end-to-end encryption under the usual pretext of national security, so we’ll need to continue pushing against such moves.
Senior British officials told the Financial Times that the UK is likely to back off from its demands to avoid a further clash with the Trump administration. The order was a point of contention between the two countries, and one official says that Vice President JD Vance was strongly opposed to the UK’s demand.
One of the challenges for the tech partnerships we’re working on is the encryption issue. It’s a big red line in the US — they don’t want us messing with their tech companies.
Anonymous British official, Financial Times, 21 July, 2025
Later, Apple disabled the Advanced Data Protection option for users in the UK, effectively removing end-to-end encryption for British users. The company refused to provide the requested backdoor access, challenged the order in a secret hearing, and later won the right to publicly discuss the topic.
Meanwhile, various reports claimed that the demand sparked bipartisan outrage in the US. The topic was also reportedly brought up during talks between the UK and the US.
Apple’s Advanced Data Protection feature isn’t turned on by default, but it provides extra protection on iCloud-stored data. The feature activates end-to-end encryption, which means that even Apple couldn’t access the files.
I was never surprised by the UK government’s push against Apple, but I am grateful that there is backlash against it, and I hope this issue could unite people across the political spectrum. The UK is certainly not the only country that would like to get rid of end-to-end encryption under the usual pretext of national security, so we’ll need to continue pushing against such moves.
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