Earlier this year, the U.K. government had demanded Apple to add a backdoor in iOS to access user data that was stored in iCloud backups. The U.S. government now says that their neighbors across the pond have agreed to drop the demand.
The British government had secretly issued Apple a Technical Capability Notice, which would meant that Apple would have to allow authorities to access data that users had uploaded to its iCloud servers. Of course, the authorities would have to issue a legal warrant for such demands.
This worried Apple to the point that it announced it was withdrawing Advanced Data Protection (ADP) for iCloud users in the U.K. The Cupertino company's action suggested that it had no choice, but to comply with the local law. Apple challenged the demand via the Investigatory Powers Tribunal, alleging that the request was illegal.
Shortly after this drama unfolded, the U.S. director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, said that the request by the U.K. government violated American privacy and civil liberties. She also wrote a letter highlighting the risks of removing encryption, which could result in serious vulnerabilities that could be exploited by adversarial actors. The U.S. began formally investigating the demand.
It's worth noting that the U.K. government's demand not only concerned its own citizens, it could have affected people worldwide. Really, they wanted to access user data globally. Imagine the audacity to demand such a thing. No wonder the U.S. government got mad, if you catch my meaning.
Gabbard says that she worked with the U.K. authorities to ensure "Americans' private data remains private and our Constitutional rights and civil liberties are protected." The U.K. agreed to drop the mandate for a back door after talks between the two countries.
As Forbes puts it, it's still not unclear whether this means Apple will re-enable ADP for users in the U.K. I wouldn't be surprised if they come back with an alternate proposal to access user data. For now, it's a win for privacy!
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