Apple takes the UK back to court over its encryption backdoor demand

Apple's second fight over iCloud encryption

@Apple has filed a fresh legal complaint at the UK's Investigatory Powers Tribunal (IPT), challenging a government order that demands access to encrypted iCloud backups belonging to British users. The filing, reported by the Financial Times, marks the company's second legal battle over the issue since 2025.

The dispute began in early 2025, when the British government secretly ordered Apple to provide access to data protected by Advanced Data Protection for iCloud users worldwide. Because Apple does not hold the encryption keys, complying would require weakening or redesigning the service. Apple responded by stopping new UK users from enabling Advanced Data Protection and challenging the order before the Investigatory Powers Tribunal.

The Home Office previously agreed to drop its original demand for a backdoor covering UK and US customers alike, after a diplomatic row with Washington. The British government subsequently issued a new technical capability notice (TCN) to Apple, limited to users in the UK. Apple's new filing was reportedly submitted to the IPT in July 2026.

What is a technical capability notice, and what does Apple say?

A technical capability notice is a secret government legal order for demanding access to users' data, even if the data is encrypted. They are issued under the UK's Investigatory Powers Act, which the government says is necessary to investigate terrorism and child sexual abuse.

Apple maintains that it has never built and will never build a backdoor or master key. The tribunal confirmed it will hear cases from Apple alongside Privacy International, Liberty, and two private individuals, in public hearings using "assumed facts" rather than classified specifics. The September hearing will be a significant test of how far democratic governments can legally compel a technology company to compromise its own encryption.

Rather than build backdoors, Apple withdrew its Advanced Data Protection encryption from UK users entirely, meaning UK residents now have less privacy than users elsewhere. Civil liberties groups argue the narrower, UK-only order does not make the demand any less problematic. The Electronic Frontier Foundation was direct, stating that limiting the demand to British users "doesn't make it any better," calling it a backdoor that sets a dangerous precedent regardless of geography.

Sources:
Apple launches second legal challenge to UK iCloud backdoor order (9to5Mac)
Apple challenges UK government's latest demand for iCloud backdoor (TechCrunch)
Apple launches new legal challenge against UK backdoor demand (MacRumors)