Apple challenges UK government demand for access to encrypted data

According to the Financial Times, Apple has officially launched a legal challenge against the UK government’s latest demand for access to users’ encrypted data. The dispute is fueling another major clash between tech giants and government agencies over privacy and national security. This was reported by TechCrunch.com reports .

Apple has reportedly filed a complaint with the Investigatory Powers Tribunal, which handles cases related to government surveillance in the UK. The complaint concerns a secret “technical capabilities notice” issued by the government last year.

Secret orders and the encryption problem

The notice is a secret legal order requiring the government to obtain users’ data, even when it is encrypted. Critics say the demand is tantamount to requiring Apple to create a backdoor into cloud backups protected by its Advanced Data Protection (ADP) feature.

ADP enables end-to-end encryption, meaning that no one except the customer—not even Apple itself—can access the data. This is considered an important step in protecting users’ privacy.

History and consequences of the legal battles

The new legal proceedings began a year after the first similar confrontation between Apple and the UK government. In early 2025, officials in London sent Apple a secret order demanding access to users’ encrypted iCloud backups. However, the order was later withdrawn following intervention by the Trump administration.

After the first order, the company responded by removing access to the ADP feature for users in the UK. The UK government then issued a second order in October, and Apple is now challenging that document.

The situation is being widely debated in the technology industry, as law enforcement agencies’ demands for keys to encrypted data, ostensibly to combat crime, could threaten users’ fundamental rights. Apple has not yet responded to TechCrunch’s request for comment.