The UK government is preparing to retreat from its controversial order forcing Apple to provide backdoor access to encrypted user data, following intense pressure from the Trump administration that threatens vital technology partnerships between the two nations.Senior British officials told the Financial Times that the Home Office will likely abandon its January demand for Apple to break end-to-end encryption on iCloud storage, with US Vice President JD Vance leading opposition to the UK’s stance. “The Home Office is basically going to have to back down,” one technology department official said, noting Vance’s strong objections to the encryption order.The standoff has created significant diplomatic friction, with multiple US officials including President Trump, Vice President Vance, and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard all raising concerns about the UK’s approach. Trump previously compared the British demand to “something you hear about with China” and reportedly told Prime Minister Keir Starmer directly: “You can’t do this.”
UK-US tech partnerships at risk over privacy battle
The encryption dispute threatens to derail broader technology cooperation between the allies, particularly around artificial intelligence and data sharing agreements central to Starmer’s digital trade strategy. “One of the challenges for the tech partnerships we’re working on is the encryption issue,” a senior UK official explained. “It’s a big red line in the US — they don’t want us messing with their tech companies.”US officials have warned that the UK order could violate Americans’ privacy rights and potentially breach existing data agreements between the countries, with Gabbard calling it an “egregious violation.”
Apple withdraws secure storage service from UK market
In response to the secret government order issued under the Investigatory Powers Act, Apple withdrew its most secure cloud storage service, Advanced Data Protection, from the UK market in February. The tech giant is now challenging the Home Office demand at the Investigatory Powers Tribunal, with WhatsApp joining the legal battle in a rare collaboration between Silicon Valley rivals.British officials acknowledge the Home Office has handled the encryption issue “very badly” and now has “its back against the wall” as it seeks an exit strategy from the high-profile privacy confrontation.
