UK's Demand for Apple Backdoor Extended to All iCloud Users Globally, Court Filing Reveals

A new court filing suggests the UK government's attempt to force Apple to provide backdoor access to user data was broader than previously understood, extending beyond Advanced Data Protection to Apple's standard iCloud service and applying worldwide, according to the Financial Times.

The document, published by the Investigatory Powers Tribunal (IPT), sets out the "assumed facts" for a court hearing scheduled for early next year. This mechanism allows the case to be argued in open court without officially confirming the existence of the secret Home Office order.

While it was already known that the UK's technical capability notice (TCN) targeted Apple's optional Advanced Data Protection, the new filing states the order "is not limited to" that feature. This indicates the government also sought access to Apple's standard iCloud service, used by the vast majority of customers. It further included "obligations to provide and maintain a capability to disclose categories of data stored within a cloud-based backup service," potentially covering messages and passwords.


The filing also confirms that the demand was not restricted to UK citizens. "The obligations included in the TCN are not limited to the UK or users of the service in the UK; they apply globally in respect of the relevant data categories of all iCloud users," it states.

This appears to contradict recent remarks from U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who claimed the UK had dropped its mandate following pressure from the Trump administration. The Financial Times notes it remains unclear whether the filing refers to the original scope of the order or signals that the Home Office has yet to formally rescind or narrow it.

The UK government said it does not comment on operational matters but noted that its security arrangements with the U.S. already include safeguards to protect each other's citizens. Apple declined to comment.

The dispute began in January when the Home Office secretly ordered Apple to build the technical capability, prompting the company to pull its Advanced Data Protection feature in the UK and launch a legal challenge that the government unsuccessfully tried to keep secret.


Please download the iClarified app or follow iClarified on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and RSS for more updates.