London — The British government has quietly retreated from its demand that Apple create a secret “backdoor” into the company’s encrypted systems, a move that had ignited an international debate over privacy, surveillance, and state power.
The dispute centered on the UK’s Investigatory Powers Act, a sweeping law granting intelligence agencies broad authority to compel technology companies to provide access to user data. Last December, London attempted to extend these powers by requiring Apple to dismantle its strongest security measure, known as Advanced Data Protection, to give British authorities potential access to encrypted information stored in iCloud.
Apple rejected the order outright, insisting it would never build a master key that could compromise the security of millions of users. As a direct consequence of the UK’s demand, the company announced plans to withdraw Advanced Data Protection from the British market, underscoring the gravity of the government’s overreach.
Critics of the British plan argued that such a mandate would not only erode civil liberties but also set a dangerous precedent for authoritarian regimes, justifying them to pressure global technology firms into weakening encryption for their purposes. Privacy advocates accused the government of attempting to normalize mass surveillance at the expense of individual rights.
Officials in London now appear to have quietly abandoned the effort. Security experts note that the retreat highlights the limitations of Western governments in forcing major technology companies to undermine encryption standards that underpin global digital security. For Apple, the outcome represents a high-profile victory in its long-standing fight against state surveillance demands.
According to the BBC, the UK’s decision to withdraw its request marks an end to months of escalating tension between the government and Apple, while leaving unresolved the larger struggle between privacy rights and state surveillance in the digital age.
