UK may back down on demand for backdoor access to Apple users’ encrypted data

Pressure from Washington could lead the UK government to climb down on its demand that Apple provide British law enforcement agencies with backdoor access to encrypted customer data, it has been reported.

In January, the UK Home Office formally asked Apple to provide law enforcement agencies access to heavily encrypted data held on behalf of its customers. But the US company resisted and withdrew its advanced data protection service from the UK market. It argues privacy is one of its “core values”.

The Financial Times reports that UK government sources believe pressure from Washington, including the US vice-president, JD Vance, means the Home Office is facing a climbdown.

Vance has previously criticised as “crazy” the idea of “creating a backdoor in our own technology networks” that enemies could exploit, even when they were established for domestic security purposes.

The FT quoted one Whitehall source saying “the Home Office is basically going to have to back down” and another stating “they are working on a way around it now”.

JD Vance has criticised the creation of a backdoor to access encrypted data. Photograph: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images

The Home Office did not immediately comment.

The Home Office had issued a “technical capability notice” to Apple under the Investigatory Powers Act. But in February, Apple responded by withdrawing its advanced data protection (ADP) service in the UK and said: “We have never built a backdoor or master key to any of our products or services, and we never will.”

ADP is available everywhere else in the world and offers end-to-end encryption for iCloud drive and backup, notes, wallet passes, reminders and other services.

Apple has launched a legal challenge in the investigatory powers tribunal over the Home Office’s powers to demand backdoor access. The Home Office demanded this challenge be kept secret by the courts but judges ordered details of the case be made public.

The government is trying to position the UK as an appealing place for US tech companies to invest.

Some ministers have argued that encryption technology prevents law enforcement agencies from tackling criminals, including child abusers. But there are concerns that the demand for a backdoor could imperil technology agreements with the US, which could be an important part of Labour’s trade strategy.