US Politicians React to UK’s Request for Encrypted Apple Data

Two US lawmakers have strongly condemned what they view as the United Kingdom’s “dangerous” and “shortsighted” demand for access to encrypted data stored by Apple users across the globe in its cloud service. Senators Ron Wyden and Congressman Andy Biggs wrote a letter to National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard, warning that this move threatens both US privacy and security. They urged her to issue an ultimatum: “Back down from this dangerous attack on US cybersecurity or face serious consequences.”

The BBC has reached out for the UK government’s response.

“While we have been a trusted ally, the U.S. government must not permit what is effectively a foreign cyberattack waged through political means,” the politicians wrote in their letter to Ms Gabbard.

If Britain refuses to retract its demand, they suggest that Ms Gabbard should “reevaluate US-UK cybersecurity arrangements and programs as well as US intelligence sharing.”

The UK’s request has been drawing public attention due to its broad implications. The Home Office issued an order under the Investigatory Powers Act compelling Apple to provide information about users’ data stored using Advanced Data Protection (ADP). This encryption technology ensures that only account holders can access their content, making it inaccessible even to Apple itself.

The demand was first reported by the Washington Post and has also been confirmed by BBC contacts. When asked for comment, the Home Office stated: “We do not comment on operational matters, including confirming or denying the existence of any such notices.” Despite this stance, Privacy International has labeled it as an “unprecedented attack” on personal privacy.

Senators Wyden and Biggs argue that compliance with such a request would “undermine Americans’ privacy rights” and leave them vulnerable to espionage from China, Russia, and other adversaries. They point out that Apple does not tailor its encryption software for different countries; hence, American customers are also exposed through the same system used in the UK.

The lawmakers assert that any weakening of security measures could result in a compromised situation for sensitive data stored on Apple devices by government agencies at all levels within the US. The demand has stirred concern among privacy advocates who fear it may signal a significant step toward mass surveillance capabilities.

However, similar situations have occurred before. In 2016, when dealing with criminal investigations involving the iPhone of a gunman and that of an alleged drug dealer’s phone in another case where authorities managed to gain access independently or through court-ordered methods without Apple’s assistance, cases like these were successfully resolved.

The UK government has indicated they do not intend to indiscriminately search everyone’s data but are targeting individuals who pose a national security threat. Even if this is the case, adhering to legal processes and obtaining specific permission for particular accounts remains essential before accessing such information—just as it does with unencrypted data.

Apple has previously stated that they would withdraw encryption services like ADP from the UK market rather than comply with such demands, emphasizing their commitment to not build “backdoors” into their products. Similarly, Meta’s WhatsApp has expressed its preference for being blocked over compromising message security protocols. Nonetheless, these measures might fall short since laws such as the Investigatory Powers Act apply globally to any tech firm operating in the UK market.