The UK government has renewed its demand for access to Apple’s cloud storage service, specifically targeting British citizens. This request involves a technical capability notice (TCN) that seeks a backdoor into the encrypted cloud backups of UK users’ data. Previously, the Home Office aimed to access data from Apple’s advanced data protection (ADP) service on a global scale, which led to tensions with the United States government.
In a statement, a Home Office representative refrained from commenting on operational specifics but emphasized the government’s responsibility to ensure the safety of UK citizens. Apple has not publicly addressed the latest TCN but has expressed strong opposition to providing any backdoor access, reiterating its commitment to user security and privacy. The company withdrew the ADP feature for new users in the UK earlier this year and indicated that existing users would need to disable it in the future.
Former US intelligence director Tulsi Gabbard noted in August that the UK had withdrawn its previous demand for access to customer data held by Apple in the US, while former President Donald Trump criticized the request, drawing parallels to practices in China.
Apple has been involved in legal disputes concerning previous TCNs, with reports indicating that the initial notice sought access beyond what is stored under ADP. The ADP service employs end-to-end encryption, meaning only users can decrypt their files, and not even Apple can access them. Privacy International, a legal advocacy organization, raised concerns that forcing Apple to compromise this encryption could create security vulnerabilities that could be exploited globally.
Details surrounding the government’s current TCN remain undisclosed, as recipients of such notices are legally prohibited from discussing them.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/oct/01/uk-government-apple-data-british-telecoms