UK retreats on Apple encryption backdoor after US pressure

British officials are signaling surrender on a controversial government order to compel Apple to weaken its end-to-end encryption for UK users, following warnings from top US leaders that such a move could endanger critical technology agreements between the two nations.

The standoff began in January, when the UK Home Office issued a technical capability notice to Apple under the country’s Investigatory Powers Act, often called the “snooper’s charter” by critics, according to the Financial Times. The order demanded the tech giant allow backdoor law enforcement access to encrypted iCloud data. In response, Apple withdrew its most secure cloud service from the UK and mounted a legal challenge, now joined by Meta’s WhatsApp.

UK officials now recognize that their position risks derailing essential digital and AI trade partnerships. As one government technology aide told the Financial Times, breaking Apple’s encryption crosses a “big red line in the US—they don’t want us messing with their tech companies.” Both US President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance have warned that the UK’s actions could have severe diplomatic and commercial repercussions, with Trump comparing the UK’s stance to China’s approach to tech oversight.

This dispute underscores tensions between national security interests and privacy rights, a recurring theme in US-UK tech relations. US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard warned the move could violate Americans’ privacy and undermine bilateral data agreements. Apple insists it has “never built a back door or master key … and never will.”