UK’s Demand for Backdoor to Apple iCloud Backups Angers US Congressmen

US lawmakers are up in arms over the UK’s reported order for Apple to open up users’ encrypted iCloud backups to law enforcement.

As first reported by the Washington Post, then corroborated by other news outlets, the United Kingdom is demanding government access to end-to-end encrypted data in iCloud – that is, access even to backups protected with Apple’s Advanced Data Protection.

The reason? To help police catch criminals. However, as the Electronic Frontier Foundation appropriately points out, there’s no way to provide access only to the “good guys.”

A shortsighted effort

Senator Ron Wyden and Representative Andy Biggs are urging the newly confirmed Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard to combat the UK’s order.

“We write to urge you to act decisively to protect the security of Americans’ communications from dangerous, shortsighted efforts by the United Kingdom that will undermine Americans’ privacy rights and expose them to espionage by China, Russia and other adversaries,” reads the strong opening to the letter addressing Gabbard.

“According to recent press reports, the U.K.’s Home Secretary served Apple with a secret order last month, directing the company to weaken the security of its iCloud backup service to facilitate government spying,” the letter continues. “This directive reportedly requires the company to weaken the encryption of its iCloud backup service, giving the U.K. government the ‘blanket capability’ to access customers’ encrypted files.”

The Post’s sources say the order was issued under the UK Investigatory Powers Act 2016, also known as the “Snoopers’ Charter.” Apple is reportedly gagged from acknowledging that it received such an order, and it may be coerced into compliance even during appeal, as the order does not require a judge’s approval.

“The office of the Home Secretary has served Apple with a document called a technical capability notice, ordering it to provide access under the sweeping U.K. Investigatory Powers Act of 2016, which authorizes law enforcement to compel assistance from companies when needed to collect evidence, the people said,” the Post reported last week.

Worse still, the Cupertino giant “faces criminal penalties that prevent it from even confirming to the U.S. Congress the accuracy of these press reports,” Wyden and Biggs stress.

The letter goes on to mention several key cybersecurity incidents occurring on US soil as the result of weak policies around foreign affairs and adversaries, including the Salt Typhoon hack of US telephone carriers’ systems last year.

“While the U.K has been a trusted ally, the U.S. government must not permit what is effectively a foreign cyberattack waged through political means,” the lawmakers’ letter continues. “If the U.K. does not immediately reverse this dangerous effort, we urge you to reevaluate U.S.-U.K. cybersecurity arrangements and programs as well as U.S. intelligence sharing with the U.K.”

The two strengthen their point by reminding the new head of National Intelligence that she stated at her confirmation hearing that “backdoors lead down a dangerous path.”

“We urge you to put those words into action by giving the U.K. an ultimatum: back down from this dangerous attack on U.S. cybersecurity, or face serious consequences,” the letter concludes.

How to protect yourself

If the order goes through, Apple can do little about it. If you consider yourself at risk due to this order, you may consider turning off iCloud backups for your Apple device.

Although it’s a hassle, you can perform a local backup for your iPhone or iPad using Finder on macOS or iTunes on Windows.

Whether or not Apple fights the UK ruling, if you continue to backup your Apple gear in iCloud, it’s still a good idea to turn on Advanced Data Protection, which offers Apple’s highest level of cloud data security for your photos, notes, and even your passwords.

(This support article thoroughly explains how your data is protected with standard protection and if you enable Advanced Data Protection.)

As we note in our recent guide – 10 Cyberthreats iPhone Users Can’t Afford to Ignore in 2025 – awareness is your best defense against threats not visible to the naked eye. Stay informed about cybersecurity matters to ensure you make the right decisions in the digital realm.