UK drops demand for access to Apple user data

London: Britain has dropped its request for access to Apple users encrypted data, which had created friction between London and Washington, US intell...

London: Britain has dropped its request for access to Apple users' encrypted data, which had created friction between London and Washington, US intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard said Tuesday.

The UK government wanted the tech giant to create a "back door" to let authorities snoop on data uploaded by Apple users if required, for example by law enforcement agencies.

Gabbard said the request "would have enabled access to the protected encrypted data of American citizens and encroached on our civil liberties".

Many tech platforms pride themselves on being able to guarantee privacy through encryption of messages and other content, and providing access to law enforcement has long been seen as off-limits.

The UK "agreed to drop its mandate" after months of work with US President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, Gabbard posted on X.