Washington/London | August 19, 2025
The United Kingdom has withdrawn its demand that Apple provide a “backdoor” to encrypted user data, U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard announced on Tuesday, easing tensions between London and Washington over digital privacy.
British authorities had earlier issued a Technical Capability Notice under the Investigatory Powers Act, which would have compelled Apple to disable or weaken its end-to-end encryption feature, Advanced Data Protection (ADP), for U.K. users. In response, Apple suspended the feature locally, sparking international concern.
Gabbard told reporters that the demand “would have enabled access to the protected, encrypted data of American citizens and encroached on our civil liberties.” She confirmed that the order has now been dropped following bilateral talks, calling it a “significant step in safeguarding privacy and civil rights.”
The move comes after months of pressure from U.S. lawmakers, who argued the U.K. mandate risked undermining privacy protections guaranteed under U.S. law and could have conflicted with the CLOUD Act.
While the withdrawal resolves a major flashpoint, neither the U.K. Home Office nor Apple has yet issued an official statement on whether Advanced Data Protection will be reinstated for British users. Analysts note that broader surveillance powers under the Investigatory Powers Act remain in force, leaving future disputes possible.
The decision is seen as a victory for privacy advocates and a relief for technology companies that have long resisted government demands to weaken encryption.
