Apple appeals UK government demand for iCloud backdoor

Apple, the tech giant, is pushing back against a request from the UK government. The government wants Apple to create a secret way—called a “backdoor”—to access private iCloud backups that are fully protected. This news comes from a report by the Financial Times, based on information from people who didn’t share their names.

Here’s what happened: In early February, UK officials gave Apple an official order called a Capability Notice (TCN). This order told Apple to unlock iCloud backups that use a special security feature called “end-to-end encryption.” Encryption is like a lock that keeps data safe, and “end-to-end” means only the user—not even Apple—can unlock it. Normally, iCloud backups aren’t fully encrypted unless users turn on a setting called “Advanced Data Protection for iCloud.” When this setting is on, Apple can’t see the data, which keeps it extra private.

The UK’s demand would affect iCloud users all over the world, not just in the UK. Plus, Apple isn’t allowed to tell anyone about this backdoor if they make it. After the news came out, Apple made a big decision: it stopped letting new UK users turn on Advanced Data Protection. People in the UK who already use it will eventually have to turn it off.

Apple isn’t happy about this. Two weeks after the story broke, the company appealed the UK’s order. They took their case to a special court called the Investigatory Powers Tribunal. This court will decide if the UK’s request is fair and legal. If the court says no, the order could be canceled.

The UK government hasn’t said anything publicly about this yet. But according to the Financial Times, they think Apple is breaking the rules by not offering fully encrypted backups anymore.

In short, this is a battle between Apple and the UK over privacy. Apple wants to keep user data safe, while the UK says it needs access for security reasons. The tribunal’s decision will settle the fight—for now.