Summary
The UK government has issued a new order allowing it to access the personal data of Apple users in the UK if there is a national security threat. This is part of an ongoing issue between Apple and the UK government over data privacy. Apple insists it prioritizes user privacy and will not weaken its data protection measures.
Key Facts
- The UK government can now demand access to the personal data of Apple users in the UK for national security reasons.
- This new order replaces an earlier demand for access to Apple user data worldwide, which was criticized by the US.
- Apple removed a strong data protection feature, Advanced Data Protection (ADP), from the UK in response to the dispute.
- A tribunal hearing about this issue is scheduled for January 2026.
- Apple states it is committed to user privacy and security, and does not build any backdoors into its products.
- The dispute has involved legal challenges and public statements from both Apple and the UK government.
- A judge ruled that the legal conflict between the UK government and Apple should not be kept secret.
- Privacy International and other groups have criticized the UK government's actions, warning that similar demands might be made of other tech companies.
