The UK government has backed down from its request that Apple open access to encrypted data on iCloud. The request was made under the Investigatory Powers Act and would have required Apple to change how its Advanced Data Protection system works.
ADP, introduced in 2022, lets users store photos, notes and backups with end-to-end encryption so that only the account holder can unlock the data. Even Apple cannot get into these accounts. The Home Office served a legal order asking Apple to make the system accessible.
In response, Apple removed ADP from the UK in February and took legal action against the Home Office. But this week, US director of national intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said the UK had now agreed to drop the order after months of talks involving American president Donald Trump, vice president JD Vance and British officials.
Conservative MP David Davis welcomed the decision. He said a back door would have made people less safe online. Privacy campaigners had also criticised the demand, while police and online safety groups argued encryption lets offenders hide more easily.
What Is Apple’s Position On Encryption?
Apple has stood on saying it will not create a back door into its products. The company says any weakness in encryption would harm all users. After the UK order, Apple disabled ADP in the country but kept it running in other places.
Apple also filed a legal dispute against the government. It isn’t yet known whether or not that case in particular will continue now that the demand has been dropped.
The company does share some user data in certain cases. In the UK, it can give police information such as a person’s name or phone number if it believes this is needed for national security or law enforcement. In the US, it can hand over basic account details like emails or contacts if a court issues a search warrant. Apple insists it has never built a master key to its systems.
What Happens In The Courts?
The matter is still being considered in the Investigatory Powers Tribunal, the UK court that looks at surveillance cases. Groups such as the Internet Society, the Open Rights Group and encrypted service providers want to present evidence on the risks of forcing companies to weaken encryption.
They are saying that back doors would make millions of people worldwide less safe, including those who are most vulnerable. The Internet Society said strong encryption is essential for privacy, for the economy and for security.
More than 200 groups and companies had already written to the UK government urging it to withdraw the demand. The Financial Times reported earlier this year that the government was weighing a retreat after pressure from campaigners and from the US. The announcement this week confirms that change.
The government’s retreat has eased the immediate clash, but the court case is still going forward, and Apple still stands on its message that strong encryption protects ordinary people and that personal data should stay out of reach from anyone except the account holder.
