Britain will no longer demand backdoor access to Apple users’ private data in the U.S. after the Trump administration reached a deal, according to Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard.
Gabbard said on Monday that Britain has abandoned its plan to require Apple to provide access to encrypted services, including iCloud.
“The UK has agreed to drop its mandate for Apple to provide a ‘back door’ that would have enabled access to the protected encrypted data of American citizens and encroached on our civil liberties,” Gabbard writes on X (formerly Twitter).
The decision follows months of lobbying by Apple in Washington and its decision earlier this year to restrict one of its security features in Britain. Apple has long resisted demands from governments to weaken encryption, arguing that any back door could be misused to compromise user security.
Over the past few months, I’ve been working closely with our partners in the UK, alongside @POTUS and @VPto ensure Americans’ private data remains private and our Constitutional rights and civil liberties are protected.
As a result, the UK has agreed to drop its mandate for…
— DNI Tulsi Gabbard (@DNIGabbard) August 19, 2025
The dispute stemmed from amendments to the Investigatory Powers Act of 2016, which expanded the government’s authority to compel companies to provide data to law enforcement and intelligence agencies. Britain issued a secret order under the revised law earlier this year.
Apple brought the matter into public view in February, when it announced that iPhone users in Britain would lose access to its Advanced Data Protection feature. The tool allows nearly all iCloud data — including messages, notes, photos, and backups — to be encrypted. While the feature remained available in the United States, Apple said it could not offer it in Britain under the government’s directive.
Before disabling the feature, Apple formally objected to the new legal requirements and sought assistance from both the Biden and Trump administrations. The company argued that complying with Britain’s order risked exposing user data globally, not just within the U.K.
Gabbard praised Britain’s reversal, saying it will “ensure Americans’ private data remains private and our Constitutional rights and civil liberties are protected.”
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