Apple is contesting a new request from the U.K. government seeking access to user data that is encrypted, as reported by Financial Times.
The tech giant has reportedly lodged a complaint with the Investigatory Powers Tribunal in the U.K., which deals with cases concerning governmental surveillance. This action follows a “technical capability notice” issued by the government last year, a confidential legal demand for access to user data, including encrypted information.
Critics argue that such demands are akin to requiring a backdoor into Apple’s cloud storage that employs Advanced Data Protection (ADP). This feature ensures that data is end-to-end encrypted, making it inaccessible to anyone aside from the user, including Apple itself.
This latest challenge arises a year after a similar dispute between Apple and the U.K. authorities. In early 2025, London had sent a confidential directive to Apple for access to users’ encrypted iCloud backups, which was subsequently retracted following intervention from the Trump administration.
Following the initial directive, Apple removed the ADP feature for users in the U.K. However, in October, another order was issued, which Apple is now seeking to oppose.
Apple has not provided any comments regarding the situation.
