UK government demands access to Apple users' encrypted data

The UK government has asked Apple to create a mechanism that would allow the UK to access users' encrypted data.

Specifically, British authorities have asked Apple (US) to create a “backdoor” system in its encrypted cloud storage service, thereby allowing the British government to collect highly confidential data from Apple users, the Washington Post reported on February 7.

The request, made by the UK Home Office in January, invoked the Investigatory Powers Act (IPA), which requires companies to help provide evidence to law enforcement.

Apple logo at a train station in the US

The UK’s latest move could lead to conflicts and disputes with Apple and technology companies in general, on the issue of user privacy and security. London wants access to Apple’s Advanced Data Protection (ADP) service, under which users’ personal data will be stored in the cloud service. ADP uses end-to-end encryption, so only the account owner can unlock and access the data.

Apple has not commented on the UK government’s latest move. However, in a submission to the UK Parliament last year, the US technology company expressed concerns about the IPA, saying it would allow the government to secretly issue orders requiring service providers to create methods of accessing user data without the data owner’s knowledge.

Apple asserts that privacy is one of the company's core values, adding that the ADP service "has been hailed by journalists and technical experts as an invaluable safeguard for private data."

Alan Woodward, a professor of cybersecurity at the University of Surrey (UK), said that the debate on encryption seems endless and each side has its own arguments. If Apple accepts the offer from the British government, it will destroy its reputation, The Guardian quoted Mr. Woodward as saying.

Apple has left open the possibility of refusing to cooperate and possibly removing important security features from the UK market, but this does not satisfy the government, which also wants access to data on users active in other countries. It is not clear what the UK will do if Apple does not cooperate as requested.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/chinh-phu-anh-yeu-cau-tiep-can-du-lieu-ma-hoa-cua-nguoi-dung-apple-185250209083252264.htm