Apple challenges UK government’s latest demand for iCloud backdoor: report | TechCrunch
SearchSubmit
Site Search Toggle
Mega Menu Toggle
Topics
Latest
AI
Amazon
Apps
Biotech & Health
Climate
Cloud Computing
Commerce
Crypto
Enterprise
EVs
Fintech
Fundraising
Gadgets
Gaming
Government & Policy
Hardware
Layoffs
Media & Entertainment
Meta
Microsoft
Privacy
Robotics
Security
Social
Space
Startups
TikTok
Transportation
Venture
More from TechCrunch
Staff
Events
Startup Battlefield
StrictlyVC
Newsletters
Podcasts
Videos
Partner Content
TechCrunch Brand Studio
Crunchboard
Contact Us
In Brief
Posted:
11:54 AM PDT · August 3, 2026
Image Credits: Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto / Getty Images
Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai
Apple challenges UK government’s latest demand for iCloud backdoor: report
Apple is challenging another legal demand by the U.K. government to access the encrypted data of its users in the country, according to the Financial Times.
The company reportedly filed a complaint with the U.K.’s Investigatory Powers Tribunal, a court that hears cases related to government surveillance, after the government last year issued a “technical capability notice”. The notice is a secret government legal order for demanding access to users’ data, even if the data is encrypted.
For critics, this kind of demand is the equivalent of requesting a backdoor into Apple’s cloud backups that have Advanced Data Protection (ADP) switched on, which makes the data end-to-end encrypted and inaccessible to anyone other than the customer, including to Apple.
This new challenge comes a year after a similar fight between Apple and the U.K. government. In early 2025, London issued a secret order to Apple demanding access to users’ encrypted iCloud backups, which was later dropped following the intervention of the Trump administration.
After the first order, the company reacted by removing the ability of U.K. users to use ADP. Then, in October, the U.K. issued a second order, which Apple is now challenging.
Apple did not respond to TechCrunch’s request for comment.
Topics
Advanced Data Protection, Apple, apple icloud backdoor, backdoor, encryption, iCloud, privacy, Security, UK
October 13 – 15
San Francisco
Scale faster. Grow your portfolio. Gain practical expertise. No matter your goal, Disrupt can empower you.
Save up to $330 toda y!
REGISTER NOW
Newsletters
See More
Subscribe for the industry’s biggest tech news
TechCrunch Daily News
Every weekday and Sunday, you can get the best of TechCrunch’s coverage.
TechCrunch Mobility
TechCrunch Mobility is your destination for transportation news and insight.
Startups Weekly
Startups are the core of TechCrunch, so get our best coverage delivered weekly.
StrictlyVC
Provides movers and shakers with the info they need to start their day.
No newsletters selected.
Subscribe
By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice.
Related
AI
Apple finally fixed Siri. So why does it feel anticlimactic?
Sarah Perez
11 minutes ago
Apps
Outernet turns your saved posts into real-world adventures
Sarah Perez
55 minutes ago
Climate
Base Power raises another $1B to save the grid using backyard batteries
Tim De Chant
2 hours ago
Latest in Security
In Brief
Apple challenges UK government’s latest demand for iCloud backdoor: report
Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai
45 seconds ago
Security
Horizon3 hits $2 billion valuation with $250M Series E as AI threats escalate
Kate Park
6 hours ago
Security
Samsung bans smart TV apps that share users’ internet connections with strangers
Zack Whittaker
7 hours ago
© 2026 TechCrunch Media LLC.