“As we have said many times before, we have never built a backdoor or master key to any of our products or services and we never will. Withdrawing Advanced Data Protection from the UK will not affect the 14 iCloud data categories that are end-to-end encrypted by default. Data such as iCloud Keychain and Health remains protected with full end-to-end encryption. Our communication services, such as iMessage and FaceTime, remain end-to-end encrypted globally, including in the UK.”
The Investigatory Powers Act
The dispute began in February when it was revealed that the UK government was seeking to leverage the Investigatory Powers Act to access ADP-protected data. This legislation allows the government to compel companies to provide information to law enforcement agencies.
Shortly afterward, Apple took legal action by appealing to the Investigatory Powers Tribunal, an independent court that has the authority to review claims against the UK’s intelligence services. The tribunal held a secret hearing on the matter at the High Court on Friday.
The Secret Tribunal Hearing
Apple’s appeal against the UK government’s demands was considered at a confidential hearing at the High Court. The case is being reviewed by the Investigatory Powers Tribunal.
