The UK government has backed down on a controversial demand for Apple to build a “back door” into its technology to access private user data following pressure from the Trump administration.
The order could have undermined a key security promise Apple makes to its users — the company has said it has not and would never build a backdoor or “master key” to its products — and compromised privacy for users globally. UK officials had reportedly sought access to encrypted data that users around the world store in iCloud, materials that even the iPhone maker itself is typically unable to access.
US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said on X Monday that the United Kingdom “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 said that over the “past few months,” she had been “working closely with our partners in the UK,” alongside President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, on the agreement.
A source familiar with the discussions told CNN that Gabbard spoke with her counterpart in the UK, Deputy National Security Advisory Matt Collins, a few times about the issue, including once when the UK delegation visited the White House. Vance was also personally involved in reaching a deal, engaging in direct conversations with British government officials to come to what was considered a “mutually beneficial” agreement for both countries, a White House official told CNN.
