Apple challenges UK Government demand for access to encrypted iCloud data – Tech Digest

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Apple has launched a fresh legal challenge against the UK government, escalating a long-running dispute over encrypted user data.

The tech giant is pushing back against a new Home Office demand that it provide “back door” access to highly protected iCloud data belonging to British users.

The battle centres on Apple’s Advanced Data Protection (ADP) programme, which uses end-to-end encryption to secure iCloud storage, backups, photos, and messages. Because the data is so heavily encrypted, not even Apple itself can access it.

However, the UK government wants a technical capability notice (TCN) issued under the Investigatory Powers Act, compelling the company to give security services a way to bypass this security for investigations involving terrorism, serious crime and child sexual abuse.

This marks the second major clash between London and the tech titan. Last year, Britain backed down from an initial demand that also affected US customers following complaints from US authorities. The Home Office subsequently issued a modified TCN targeted strictly at UK users.

In response to the earlier pressure, Apple disabled the ADP feature for new British users in early 2025, warning that building any vulnerability or master key would make all customers more vulnerable to cyberattacks and data breaches.

Civil liberties and privacy groups, including Privacy International and Liberty, have welcomed Apple’s latest legal action. They are running parallel complaints challenging the legality, necessity, and secrecy of the UK’s TCN regime, arguing that undermining end-to-end encryption poses severe risks to public safety and personal privacy.

The Home Office declined to comment on ongoing legal proceedings, but maintains that the Investigatory Powers Act includes robust, independently reviewed safeguards and is only used when strictly necessary and proportionate.

Meanwhile, Apple has reiterated its long-standing position, emphasising that it has never built a backdoor or master key into any of its products or services, and never will. A case management hearing for the overlapping legal challenges is expected to take place next month.

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