UK drops Apple backdoor demand after US objection

The UK has reportedly withdrawn its requirement for Apple to create backdoor access to encrypted iCloud data, according to US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard.

Earlier this year, the UK had issued a secret order seeking access to encrypted files stored by users globally.

Following the order, Apple removed its Advanced Data Protection (ADP) encrypted iCloud storage from the UK and challenged the government’s demands.

US officials raised concerns that the UK’s request could violate the bilateral CLOUD Act, which restricts cross-border data demands between the two countries.

According to the Financial Times, unnamed UK and US officials said recent US pressure and ongoing discussions influenced the UK’s decision to reconsider the mandate.

It is not yet clear whether Apple will reinstate its ADP service in the UK following this development.

The UK Home Office has declined to comment on the matter.

🔗 Source: The Verge

🧠 Food for thought

1️⃣ Government backdoor demands follow a predictable pattern of failure

The UK’s reversal continues a decades-long trend where government attempts to create “secure” backdoors consistently fail due to technical and political realities.

The NSA’s Clipper chip program from the 1990s provides a clear precedent. Despite being designed to allow government access while maintaining security, it was discontinued in 1996 due to fundamental technical flaws and widespread public opposition2.

Security researcher Matt Blaze demonstrated that the chip’s authentication mechanism could be bypassed, allowing criminals to exploit the system without detection2.

More recently, the NSA’s DUAL_EC_DRBG random number generator was criticized for containing backdoors that allowed the agency to predict its output, further undermining confidence in government-designed access methods3.

These historical failures suggest that creating backdoors while maintaining security remains an unsolved technical challenge, making the UK’s decision to retreat from its Apple demands less surprising when viewed in this broader context.