Apple to challenge UK government order to install iCloud backdoor

Apple has launched a case in the Investigatory Powers Tribunal (IPT) to challenge the UK government’s order to create a backdoor into iCloud’s end-to-end encryption. It is the first case to test the legality of the Investigatory Powers Act (IPA) 2016, which allows the UK government to access encrypted data. Despite turning off Advanced Data Protection (ADP) in the UK, Apple continues to resist the government’s order.

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The company has applied to the IPT, an independent judicial body that hears complaints about the UK intelligence services, to overturn a “technical capability notice” (TCN) issued in January 2025 that requires Apple to give the UK government access to users’ encrypted iCloud data. However, the company argues that doing so would undermine data security and set a dangerous precedent that could undermine trust in encryption technology.

The case marks the first judicial review of the IPA, which requires tech companies to weaken encryption for government purposes. The IPT will now decide whether the order against Apple is lawful. If the court rules in Apple’s favor, the order will be overturned. Such an outcome would significantly limit the ability of the British government to access citizens’ sensitive information.

The UK authorities are demanding that Apple implement a backdoor and insist that it break the extra layer of protection that the ADP feature provides. However, Apple has refused to comply, although it did disable ADP for UK users in February 2025. Despite this concession, the UK authorities claim that Apple has failed to comply with the TCN and believe that it remains valid and can be applied not only to the data of UK citizens, but also to information located outside the UK. This aspect raises serious concerns among human rights activists and digital security experts, as it sets a precedent that could allow states to demand access to encrypted user data outside their jurisdiction.

The UK demand has drawn sharp criticism in the US. President Donald Trump compared it to the surveillance techniques used in China and called on the British government to abandon such measures. The new US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard called the demand a “gross violation” of privacy and said it could jeopardise the US-UK data-sharing agreement.

The Home Office declined to comment on the order, saying it does not release operational details of such orders. However, a spokesman stressed that the government is committed to protecting people from serious crimes such as terrorism and child sexual abuse, while balancing security with the right to privacy.

UK Security Secretary Dan Jarvis said the IPA included strong safeguards and independent oversight to ensure it could not be abused. He said access to data would only be granted in exceptional circumstances where it was necessary and proportionate to the threat. He said privacy and security were not in conflict and the UK government was able to balance the two.

Apple insists that none of its products or services have ever had a backdoor, and never will. The company emphasizes that weakening the encryption system poses a threat not only to the privacy of users, but also to their cybersecurity. If the company introduces a vulnerability for one government, there is a risk that this mechanism will be used by attackers or other states.

There are also doubts within the British intelligence community about the effectiveness of TCN. A former senior intelligence official said: “It has not been tested properly and is likely to fail. You can’t just issue an order like that in secret. If you impose an order on a company the size of Apple, it will inevitably leak to the press.”