Big Brother UK wants your encrypted Apple data
13 February 2025
If you're an Apple user, the UK wants your private data. This week, the country's government ordered Apple to grant access to encrypted user data stored in the company's cloud, affecting users anywhere in the world.
The move is unprecedented in democratic countries, as the point of encrypted data is to prevent unauthorised access.
While the move seems to be for security purposes, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has ruled against such measures because of the right to data privacy. The British government has so far declined to comment on its reasons.
Even Apple isn't happy about it: in 2016, the company refused to build a 'back door' to access their users' data. Apple states that it considers privacy a "fundamental human right" and that "every Apple product is built from the ground up to protect personal information".
 | Elsie Haldane Privacy advocates have condemned the move as an "attack". The charity Privacy International warns that the decision will "embolden abusive regimes the world over." US president Donald Trump has already criticised tech companies for not doing more to fight crime, and Elon Musk's growing influence may also sway the US towards weaker privacy protections. Challenges to the decision may be on the horizon, with Privacy International's legal director stating: "This is a fight the UK should not have picked." |
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