UK Withdraws Apple Encryption Backdoor Mandate After US Pressure

The UK government has agreed to drop its mandate requiring Apple to create a backdoor for access to encrypted data of American users after sustained pressure from U.S. officials, including President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. The mandate, issued under the UK’s Investigatory Powers Act, had compelled Apple to disable its Advanced Data Protection feature for iCloud in the UK, raising significant privacy concerns globally. Apple resisted the order by removing the encryption feature for UK users and legally challenging the mandate at the UK’s Investigatory Powers Tribunal. Gabbard emphasized that the resolution protects Americans' private data and upholds constitutional rights and civil liberties. The move drew criticism from privacy advocates who had warned that such a backdoor could be exploited by cybercriminals and authoritarian regimes worldwide. Tesla CEO Elon Musk also publicly supported the U.S. efforts to maintain strong encryption protections for users.