Symbolic imageApple challenges UK order for access to encrypted iCloud data
Apple has gone to court against a Home Office order demanding access to the encrypted iCloud data of British users. The Guardian reported the challenge on Monday, a year after London dropped a similar demand.
What happened
- Apple lodged the complaint last month at the Investigatory Powers Tribunal, which rules on alleged unlawful acts by UK intelligence services.
- The new technical capability notice covers only British users; last year's withdrawn demand also targeted US customers.
- Apple is challenging the government's power to issue such notices under the Investigatory Powers Act, a case first reported by the Financial Times.
- Apple withdrew its Advanced Data Protection encryption from UK customers in January 2025, after the first notice.
- Neither Apple nor the Home Office commented; both are legally barred from discussing technical capability notices.
What could happen next
- A case management hearing next month is to decide how Apple's case and campaigners' parallel complaint proceed.
- Privacy International and Liberty have asked for Apple's claims to be heard in public.
- Privacy International says it does not know the substance of Apple's claim, including whether it concerns iCloud storage.
- Contested: the lawfulness and secrecy of the notice regime, which the Home Office calls necessary and safeguarded.