The British government has required being able to access the encrypted data stored by Apple users worldwide in its cloud service.
The news has been reported for the first time by the Washington Post citing familiar sources with the issue, and the BBC spoke to similar contacts.
Legally, the opinion, indicated by the Ministry of the Interior under the law on investigation powers, cannot be made public and Apple refused to comment.
The Ministry of the Interior said: “We do not start operational issues, in particular by confirming or refusing the existence of these opinions.”
The opinion applies to all content stored using the Advanced Data Protection (ADP) of Apple, which encrypts the data meaning that Apple itself cannot see it.
It is an opt-in service and all users do not choose to activate it.
If they lose access to their account, added encryption means that there is no way to recover any of their data.
The company previously declared that it would draw security services from the British market rather than comply with the government’s requests to weaken them by creating “rear doors” to grant the authorities access to user data on demand .
Cybersecurity experts are suitable that such an entry point is in place, it is only a matter of time before bad actors also discover it.
And the withdrawal of the product of the United Kingdom may not be sufficient to guarantee compliance – the law on survey powers applies worldwide to a technological company with a British market, even if they are not based in Great Britain.
The technology giant can call on the government’s request but cannot delay the implementation of the decision during the process even if it is finally canceled, according to the legislation.
The government argues that encryption allows criminals to hide more easily, and the FBI in the United States has also criticized the ADP tool.
Professor Alan Woodward, cybersecurity expert at Surrey University, said that he was “amazed” by news and that private life activists Big Brother Watch described reports as “disturbing”.
“This unknown attempt to combat crime and terrorism will not make the United Kingdom safer, but it will erode the fundamental rights and civil freedoms of the entire population,” the group said in a statement.
UK Children’s Charity The NSPCC previously described encryption as being at the front line of children’s abuse, because it allows attackers to share hidden content.
But Apple says that confidentiality for its customers is at the heart of all its products and services.
In 2024, the company challenged changes proposed to the law on investigative powers, calling it “unprecedented overrun” of a government.
The changes also included the government to oppose its veto on new security measures before their implementation. They were adopted.
“The main problem that comes from this powers exercised is that it is unlikely to lead to the result they wish,” said Lisa Forte, Cybersecurity Expert by Red Goat.
“Criminals and terrorists will only rotate other platforms and techniques to avoid incrimination. It is therefore the average, citizen respecting the law that suffers by losing their privacy.”
