Apple has launched a legal challenge in London against the UK government to block a secret surveillance order demanding backdoor access to encrypted iCloud user data, according to the Financial Times.
Apple Takes the Fight to the Investigatory Powers Tribunal
The tech giant reportedly filed a formal complaint with the UK’s Investigatory Powers Tribunal, a specialised court that rules on cases involving state surveillance. This legal escalation follows the government’s issuance of a “technical capability notice” last year. This secretive legal directive forces technology companies to bypass security measures and provide access to user data, even when that data is fully encrypted.
The Threat to Advanced Data Protection
Industry critics and privacy defenders argue that complying with this directive is equivalent to demanding a security backdoor into Apple’s cloud ecosystem. The order specifically threatens users who have enabled Advanced Data Protection (ADP). This security feature ensures that iCloud backups are end-to-end encrypted, meaning only the account owner holds the decryption keys, leaving everyone else—including Apple and law enforcement—entirely locked out.
A Recurring Clash Over Digital Privacy
This dispute represents the second major confrontation between Cupertino and the UK government over encryption standards. In early 2025, London issued an identical secret order demanding access to encrypted iCloud backups. That directive was eventually dropped following political intervention from the Trump administration in the United States.
The October Escalation and Current Standpoint
Following that initial confrontation, Apple reacted by disabling the ability for UK users to activate Advanced Data Protection. However, the conflict reignited in October when the UK government issued a second technical capability notice, which Apple is now actively fighting in court. Apple has not responded to requests for comment regarding the ongoing legal proceedings.