U.S. lawmakers request briefing on the UK's iCloud encryption backdoor plans
The UK government's continued attempts to gain access to iCloud users' private data have prompted U.S. lawmakers to request a briefing about the issue.Apple's iPhone is encrypted to ensure no one can get in, good guys or badApple is a company widely known and often praised for its privacy-first approach, but sometimes that very same philosophy is at odds with the goals of world governments. The iPhone maker famously fought against an FBI request for an encryption backdoor, and it did the same when the UK came up with similar demands of its own.The drama surrounding the UK's seemingly never-ending pursuit of iCloud user data continues. On Wednesday, two U.S. lawmakers, U.S. House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan and Foreign Affairs Chair Brian Mast, requested that the UK government hold a briefing about its planned iCloud encryption backdoor. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums
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U.S. lawmakers request briefing on the UK's iCloud encryption backdoor plans
[Image: Marko Zivkovic's profile picture]
Marko Zivkovic
Wed Feb 25 2026, 06:02 PM EST
2 minute read
Apple's iPhone is encrypted to ensure no one can get in, good guys or bad
The UK government's continued attempts to gain access to iCloud users' private data have prompted U.S. lawmakers to request a briefing about the issue.
Apple is a company widely known and often praised for its privacy-first approach, but sometimes that very same philosophy is at odds with the goals of world governments. The iPhone maker famously fought against an FBI request for an encryption backdoor, and it did the same when the UK came up with similar demands of its own.
The drama surrounding the UK's seemingly never-ending pursuit of iCloud user data continues. On Wednesday, two U.S. lawmakers, U.S. House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan and Foreign Affairs Chair Brian Mast, requested that the UK government hold a briefing about its planned iCloud encryption backdoor.
As Reuters notes, the two lawmakers raised concerns over the UK's efforts, suggesting that an encryption backdoor could allow user data to fall into the hands of authoritarian governments and cyber-criminals. They highlighted the need for public awareness on the matter.
"For there to be a 'mature and informed public debate,' it is imperative that the Committees fully understand the actions taken by the UK government with respect to the TCN issued to Apple," said Jordan and Mast in a letter to Shabana Mahmood, Britain's secretary of state for the Home Department. TCN here stands for technical capability notice.
"We respectfully ask that the Home Office and UK Embassy to the United States arrange for the briefing to occur as soon as possible, but no later than 10:00 a.m. ET on March 11, 2026," continued the letter.
While it remains to be seen how the UK government will respond, the letter is not the first time US lawmakers and government officials have criticized the country's attempts at securing an encryption backdoor for iCloud.
How the UK government tried to gain access to iCloud user data
The UK first sent Apple a demand for an encryption backdoor in January 2025, after a revised version of the Investigatory Powers Act was passed. The move sparked bipartisan anger among US lawmakers, with select members of congressional oversight committees writing to Tulsi Gabbard, the National Intelligence Director, about the issue.
[Image: Person holding a blue iPhone close to their face, Apple logo visible, with text on the right reading Privacy. That's iPhone on a plain gray background]
Apple has maintained its commitment to user privacy over the years. Image Credit: Apple.
The same month, Gabbard, in her response, expressed "great concern," saying the US was not informed of the UK's secret order. Rather than complying with the UK's demands for an encryption backdoor, Apple disabled Advanced Data Protection in the country.
Months later, in , Apple allegedly fought the UK government's confidential request at the High Court. Apple later gained the moral support of WhatsApp and select U.S. lawmakers in June 2025.
In August 2025, the UK appeared to have dropped its demands for access to encrypted Messages, according to a social media post by Tulsi Gabbard. The UK government, meanwhile, did not issue statements regarding the matter, even as the full scope of its backdoor demand was revealed.
While the UK seemingly gave up on its intent to access the data of all iCloud users worldwide, it still wants to access the iCloud data and files of British citizens. In September 2025, a UK Home Office order allegedly demanded that Apple create a way for officials to access encrypted cloud backups.
Overall, it's unlikely that the government of the United Kingdom will ever be able to access the private data of every iCloud user across the world.
Still, its persistent interest in encryption backdoors continues to gain the attention of U.S. lawmakers, as we saw on Wednesday.
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