IPT filings suggest UK iCloud backdoor demand was broader than thought
Recent filings at the UK Investigatory Powers Tribunal (IPT) indicate that the Home Office’s secret order for Apple to create an iCloud backdoor may have sought broader access to user data than previously reported — potentially including passwords, messages and other cloud-stored information, and on a global scale rather than being limited to UK users.
Key points
- The IPT has published filings suggesting the Home Office asked Apple to “provide and maintain a capability to disclose categories of data stored within a cloud-based service,” language that could cover passwords and messages.
- Apple disabled iCloud Advanced Data Protection in the UK and has legally challenged the order at the IPT, saying it has never and will never build a backdoor or master key to its services.
- US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard recently claimed the UK had “agreed to drop” the mandate, but IPT filings and reporting show the Home Office has not formally revoked or amended the order.
- Reporting and summaries: MacRumors (which cites Financial Times coverage), NextGov, and The Hacker News provide ongoing coverage and analysis.
Apple statement
“Apple remains committed to offering our users the highest level of security for their personal data and are hopeful that we will be able to do so in the future in the United Kingdom. As we have said many times before, we have never built a backdoor or master key to any of our products or services and we never will.”
Sources
- MacRumors (summarizing Financial Times reporting)
- NextGov — legal challenge and US lawmakers’ concerns
- The Hacker News — coverage of claims the mandate was dropped
Note: Official statements from the UK Home Office remain limited while legal proceedings continue at the IPT. This post will be updated as new information and official confirmations become available.