UK secretly demands Apple create an iCloud backdoor via a Technical Capability Notice, raising privacy concerns over end-to-end encryption.
The UK demands Apple to create a backdoor to access any iCloud backups, the request raises concerns about user privacy and undermines Apple’s security commitments.
“The British government’s undisclosed order, issued last month, requires blanket capability to view fully encrypted material, not merely assistance in cracking a specific account, and has no known precedent in major democracies.” reads the article published by The Washington Post. “Its application would mark a significant defeat for tech companies in their decades-long battle to avoid being wielded as government tools against their users, the people said, speaking under the condition of anonymity to discuss legally and politically sensitive issues.”
The British government filed a Technical Capability Notice (TCN), demanding Apple stop providing encrypted storage in the country.
Apple can appeal the U.K.’s capability notice to a secret panel and a judge, but the law requires compliance during the appeal process.
Technically, the authorities are demanding a backdoor that could allow them to access the service also in other countries.
Apple began providing end-to-end encryption for cloud storage in 2022, despite many Apple users are still not enabling it.
The U.K. and FBI argue that encryption aids criminals and terrorists, but tech companies respond by emphasizing privacy rights, warning that backdoors can be exploited by threat actors and for government surveillance.
Sen. Ron Wyden, a Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, urged the U.S. to prevent Britain from spying on Americans, calling it a disaster for privacy and national security.
“Trump and American tech companies letting foreign governments secretly spy on Americans would be unconscionable and an unmitigated disaster for Americans’ privacy and our national security.” said Sen. Ron Wyden (Oregon).
“If the U.K. secures access to the encrypted data, other countries that have allowed the encrypted storage, such as China, might be prompted to demand equal backdoor access, potentially prompting Apple to withdraw the service rather than comply.” concludes The Washington Post. “The battle over storage privacy escalating in Britain is not entirely unexpected. In 2022 U.K. officials condemned Apple’s plans to introduce strong encryption for storage. “End-to-end encryption cannot be allowed to hamper efforts to catch perpetrators of the most serious crimes,” a government spokesperson told the Guardian newspaper, referring specifically to child safety laws.”
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Pierluigi Paganini
(SecurityAffairs – hacking, iCloud)