UK Retreats from Apple Encryption Demand, Says US Intelligence Chief

The United Kingdom has backed away from its demand that Apple create a backdoor to access encrypted data of users worldwide, according to the US director of national intelligence.

In a statement shared on X, Tulsi Gabbard said the UK had agreed to withdraw the controversial order, which would have forced the technology giant to override its own security system. She warned the directive would have jeopardised the privacy of American citizens and “encroached on our civil liberties.”

While the US has confirmed the reversal, the BBC reports that Apple has not yet received formal notification from either London or Washington. A UK government spokesperson declined to confirm or deny the existence of such notices, saying only that the two nations maintain “longstanding joint security and intelligence arrangements” to combat threats including terrorism, child abuse, and the misuse of new technologies.

In December, the Home Office issued Apple with a legal order under the Investigatory Powers Act, demanding access to encrypted files stored by global users. But the company argued that its Advanced Data Protection (ADP) feature prevents even Apple itself from unlocking such data. Breaking that encryption, it insisted, would compromise the privacy of every customer.

“Apple has never built a backdoor or master key to any of our products or services, and we never will,” the firm said at the time. Instead, Apple suspended ADP in the UK and launched legal action, with a tribunal scheduled for early 2026. It remains unclear whether that case will still proceed.

Civil rights organisations welcomed the reported U-turn but urged vigilance. Sam Grant of Liberty said the creation of a government-mandated backdoor would have been “reckless and potentially unlawful,” warning it could expose politicians, activists and minority groups to surveillance and targeting. Jim Killock of the Open Rights Group echoed those concerns, noting that “the UK’s powers to attack encryption are still on the law books.”

Although Apple has not confirmed the notice, WhatsApp, another encrypted platform used widely in the UK, said it has not received similar instructions. Meanwhile, the Data Access Agreement between the US and UK already allows both governments to share information for law enforcement purposes.