US To Investigate UK’s ‘Backdoor’ Access Request For Apple Devices

Multiple US intelligence agencies are to examine a request from the UK government for Apple to implement a backdoor in their iCloud encryption product.

Tulsi Gabbard, the US director of national intelligence (DNI), confirmed in a letter to two US politicians who had raised concerns about the move, that the CIA, NSA and other US intelligence agencies will examine the UK request, Sky News has reported.

It comes after UK security officials earlier this month had ordered Apple create a backdoor that would allow them to retrieve the encrypted content of any Apple user worldwide that has been uploaded to its iCloud service.

UK overreach

This British request immediately triggered privacy and security concerns, and two US lawmakers (Ron Wyden a Democrat who serves on the Senate Intelligence Committee, and Andy Biggs, a Republican on the House Judiciary Committee), wrote to US national intelligence director Tulsi Gabbard asking her to demand the UK retracts its order.

If the UK does not withdraw the order, the US should consider limiting intelligence sharing and cybersecurity co-operation with the UK, the lawmakers had written.

The UK order was particularly controversial as it would have required Apple to provide access to iCloud data from users globally, without their governments’ knowledge.

Additionally, the UK order makes it illegal for companies to disclose the existence of such government demands.

As a result of the UK request, Apple last week confirmed that it has withdrawn its Advanced Data Protection iCloud feature from the United Kingdom.

US investigation

Now the news that the UK request is being investigated by US intelligence agencies will be an unwelcome distraction for Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, as he heads to Washington DC to meet with President Donald Trump.

It could also further strain the relationship between the two close allies, amid ongoing disagreement with Trump’s controversial stance on Ukraine, and his talks with the pariah nation of Russia.

Sky News reported that in her letter, Gabbard said she had “grave concern” about the UK or any other country “requiring Apple or any company to create a ‘backdoor’ that would allow access to Americans’ personal encrypted data”.

“This would be a clear and egregious violation of Americans’ privacy and civil liberties, and open up a serious vulnerability for cyber exploitation by adversarial actors,” she reportedly added.

Gabbard reportedly said she was not made aware of the order by the UK.

She said she has requested the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency), DIA (Defense Intelligence Agency), DHS (Department of Homeland Security), FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) and NSA (National Security Agency) all to provide her with “insights” about what is in the public domain.

US government lawyers have also been asked to give a legal opinion on the implications of the reported order on the bilateral Cloud Act agreement.

The Home Office did not comment, Sky News reported.

Encryption backdoor

The UK government demand for backdoor access came after it had issued a “technical capability notice” that requires blanket access, rather than just assistance to access a specific account.

A technical capability notice comes under the sweeping UK Investigatory Powers Act of 2016 (otherwise known as the “Snoopers’ Charter”), which authorises UK law enforcement to compel assistance from companies when needed to collect evidence.

A “technical capability notice” requires Apple to create a backdoor that would allow British security officials to access encrypted iCloud data globally.

Apple and many other tech firms had been a vocal critic of the Investigatory Powers Act when it was being debated in 2015 – warning it could force companies to install encryption backdoors and weaken user security.

In January 2024 Apple had also publicly warned that upcoming changes being considered for the Investigatory Powers Act of 2016 could effectively give the UK government the means to “secretly veto” new security protections worldwide.