Apple has filed a new complaint with the UK's Investigatory Powers Tribunal (IPT) regarding government demands to access encrypted user data.
The filing was reportedly submitted to the IPT in July 2026. The legal action follows an attempt by the UK government in October 2025 to demand access to Apple's data, after previously backing down following complaints from the United States.
The UK government seeks to use a 'technical capability notice' to access user data by breaking iCloud security. This demand involves a capability that would ostensibly not affect users in the United States.
Security and Privacy Disputes
Apple argues that any backdoor into its systems weakens iPhone security for all users. The UK government's position has previously been that such backdoors do not imperil security or privacy.
The United States has previously argued that the UK weakening privacy would force intelligence services to withhold information from the country for security reasons. In 2024, the UK reworked its laws to grant itself the authority to legally and secretly demand Apple's assistance in spying on iPhone users globally.
The human rights group Privacy International launched a complaint against technical capability notices, with its case due to be heard in December 2025.
Neither Apple nor the UK Home Office is legally allowed to comment publicly on the case.
Updates
The technical capability notice originally issued last year specifically targeted access to user data protected by Apple's Advanced Data Protection (ADP) programme, a feature Apple had already withdrawn for UK customers in January 2025. Additionally, both Apple and the UK Home Office are legally prohibited from making public comments regarding the case.
The original technical capability notice issued last year specifically requested access to user data protected by Apple's Advanced Data Protection (ADP) programme during national security risks. Notably, Apple had already withdrawn its ADP programme access for UK customers in January 2025. While the Home Office maintains that the Investigatory Powers Act contains robust safeguards, neither Apple nor the Home Office is legally permitted to comment publicly on this specific case.
The UK Home Office has issued a new court order requesting 'back door' access to encrypted iCloud data specifically belonging to British users. This fresh request follows a previous mandate that covered both British and US customers, which was ultimately dropped after negotiations with the Trump administration. Additionally, it has been revealed that Apple had already withdrawn its Advanced Data Protection (ADP) programme access for UK customers in January 2025.
The UK Home Office has issued a fresh court order requesting 'back door' access specifically to encrypted iCloud data of British users. While the government's previous mandate would have granted access to both British and US customers' data, that former demand was dropped following negotiations with the Trump administration. Additionally, Apple confirmed it has filed the legal challenge, though neither the company nor the Home Office is legally permitted to comment publicly on the case.
A court order reveals that the UK Home Office has made a fresh request for 'back door' access to encrypted iCloud data belonging to British users. This new demand follows a previous mandate that would have included US customers' data, which was ultimately dropped after negotiations with the Trump administration. While Apple maintains it has never built backdoors, the Investigatory Powers Tribunal has now issued an order notifying Privacy International of Apple's new complaint.
A court order reveals that the UK Home Office has made a fresh request for 'back door' access to encrypted iCloud data belonging to British users. This new demand differs from the previous mandate, which would have allowed access to both British and US customers' data before being dropped following negotiations with the Trump administration. Additionally, while the underlying legal regime is being challenged, it has been noted that Apple withdrew its Advanced Data Protection (ADP) programme access for UK customers in January 2025.
The UK Home Office has issued a fresh court order requesting 'back door' access to encrypted iCloud data specifically belonging to British users. This new mandate follows a previous government demand that encompassed both British and US customers' data, which was ultimately dropped following negotiations with the Trump administration. Additionally, the Investigatory Powers Tribunal has sent notice of Apple's new complaint to the human rights group Privacy International.
The UK Home Office has issued a fresh court order requesting 'back door' access to encrypted iCloud data specifically belonging to British users. This new demand follows a previous mandate that would have covered both British and US customers, which was subsequently dropped after negotiations with the Trump administration. Additionally, the Investigatory Powers Tribunal has issued an order notifying the human rights group Privacy International of Apple's new legal complaint.
A court order reveals that the UK Home Office has issued a fresh request for 'back door' access to encrypted iCloud data belonging to British users. This new demand follows a previous government mandate that would have included both British and US customers' data but was subsequently dropped after negotiations with the Trump administration. Additionally, the Investigatory Powers Tribunal (IPT) has scheduled a case management hearing to address how the parallel complaints from Privacy International and Liberty should be handled alongside Apple's challenge.
The UK Home Office has issued a fresh request via court order for 'back door' access to encrypted iCloud data belonging to British users. This new mandate follows a previous demand that would have covered both British and US customers, which was ultimately dropped after negotiations with the Trump administration. Furthermore, the Investigatory Powers Tribunal has scheduled a case management hearing to address how parallel complaints from Privacy International and Liberty should be handled alongside Apple's legal challenge.
The UK Home Office has issued a fresh request for 'back door' access to encrypted iCloud data belonging to British users via a court order. This development follows a previous mandate that would have covered both British and US customers, a demand that was ultimately dropped after negotiations with the Trump administration. While Apple has disabled its Advanced Data Protection programme for UK customers as of January 2025, services like iCloud Keychain and iMessage remain end-to-end encrypted.
The UK Home Office has issued a fresh court order requesting 'back door' access to encrypted iCloud data for British users, following a previous mandate that had been dropped after negotiations with the Trump administration. While the UK government's former demand would have encompassed both British and US customer data, this new request focuses on British users despite Apple having already disabled its Advanced Data Protection (ADP) programme for customers in the UK in January 2025. Additionally, the Investigatory Powers Tribunal has scheduled a case management hearing to address parallel complaints from the human rights groups Privacy International and Liberty regarding the legality of the
The UK government has issued a fresh court order requesting 'back door' access to encrypted iCloud data belonging to British users. This new demand follows a previous mandate that would have accessed both British and US customer data, a request that was ultimately dropped after negotiations with the Trump administration. While Apple has withdrawn its Advanced Data Protection programme for UK customers as of January 2025, services such as iCloud Keychain, iMessage, and FaceTime remain end-to-end encrypted for users in the region.
The UK Home Office has issued a fresh court order requesting 'back door' access specifically to encrypted iCloud data belonging to British users. This follows a previous mandate that would have included both British and US customers' data, a demand that was ultimately dropped after negotiations with the Trump administration. While Apple previously disabled its Advanced Data Protection (ADP) for UK customers in early 2025, services like iCloud Keychain and iMessage continue to utilize end-to-end encryption for users in the region.
The UK Home Office reportedly issued a new order in early 2025 demanding a technical 'backdoor' to access encrypted iCloud data belonging to British users. In response to these government requirements, Apple disabled its Advanced Data Protection (ADP) programme for UK customers, with reports suggesting this occurred in either January or February 2025. Additionally, the Investigatory Powers Tribunal has scheduled a case management hearing to address Apple's legal challenge alongside parallel complaints previously filed by the privacy groups Privacy International and Liberty.
The new legal challenge, filed in July 2026, follows a previous government mandate that targeted both British and American customers, a demand which was dropped after negotiations with the Trump administration. Unlike the earlier order, the UK government's most recent technical capability notice issued in October 2025 applies strictly to UK users and does not extend to American users. Additionally, while Apple withdrew its Advanced Data Protection (ADP) programme for UK customers in January 2025, services such as iCloud Keychain, iMessage, and FaceTime remain end-to-end encrypted for users in the region.
The new legal challenge, filed in July 2026, follows a previous UK government mandate that included American users but was dropped after negotiations with the Trump administration. Unlike the earlier order, a subsequent technical capability notice issued in October 2025 applies strictly to UK users rather than extending to American customers.
