Apple launches legal challenge to UK ‘back door’ order

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Apple intensifies its battle with the British government because of its request to create a “back door” in the safest cloud storage systems, by submitting a legal complaint that hopes to turn the request.
The iPhone Maker has put it on the investigative power court, an independent judicial body that studies complaints against security services in the United Kingdom, according to the people familiar with the matter.
The legal challenge of Silicon Valley Company is believed to be the first time that the provisions contained in the 2016 Power Law have been tested that allows UK authorities to test the encryption before the court. The Investigation Force Court will consider whether the UK’s notification of the Apple company is legal, and if not, it can order a cancellation.
The case can be heard as soon as this month, although it is unclear whether there will be any general disclosure of the session. The government is likely to argue that the issue should be restricted on the basis of national security.
apple He received a “technical ability” notification under the law in January. The request, which is prevented from publicly discussing, targeted an additional optional layer of encryption that protects its iCloud system, protecting advanced data.
Apple is working to formulate the UK’s threat to notify the technical ability for a short time from the introduction of iCloud ADP in December 2022.
The iPhone Maker launched its legal complaint that resumes the demand last month at the same time as it withdrew the safest online backup service from the United Kingdom, instead of compliance with TCN.
Although Apple is withdrawing the service, the British government still believes that the large technology company has failed to comply with its command, which can also be used to access individual data outside the United Kingdom.
The UK step brought condemnation US President Donald Trump and the newly appointed intelligence chief, who presses the British government to decline.
Trump has compared the UK request to Chinese monitoring, while Toulcy Gabbard, the American director of national intelligence, said that the exploitation of Americans ‘data would be a “terrible violation” of the privacy that risks the violation of the two countries’ data agreement.
The British government believes that the penetration of the armor shield, including messages and backup, is vital to protecting the public from terrorist threats and investigating sexual assault on children.
For years, officials in the United Kingdom, the United States and Europe were pressuring technology companies, including Apple and Meta, which owns Facebook and WhatsApp, to find ways about their encryption systems.
However, many Cyber security Experts argue that the broader use of encryption is necessary to protect users from fraud, stealing identity and other online attacks, which have increased significantly in size in recent years.
“We do not comment on operational issues, including, for example, to confirm or deny the existence of any such notifications. But on a larger scale, the UK has a long -term position in protecting our citizens from the worst crimes, such as sexual assault on children and terrorism, and at the same time protecting people’s privacy,” said a spokesman for the Ministry of Interior.
When asked about the case in the House of Commons last month, the UK Security Minister Dan Garfis said: “The proposal that privacy and security is incorrectly, we can and must be both. The Law of Receptions has strong guarantees and independent supervision to protect privacy and ensure access to data only on an exceptional basis, and only when this is necessary and appropriate to do so.”
Apple refused to comment on any legal complaint, but it referred to statement Last month, when I announced that ICLoud ADP in the United Kingdom could not be “presented”: “As we said many times before, we have never built a rear door or a main key for any of our products or services and we will never be able to do so.”
Requesting a rear door for user data will enable law enforcement and security services-after obtaining an approved order by the judge-from clicking on iPhone backups and other cloud data that cannot be accessed otherwise, even in the Apple itself.
Doubts have been suspected of the effectiveness of the TCN system within the broader British security community.
One of the senior security officials said the regime “has not been tested well and perhaps not applicable,” adding: “You do not escape a secret issue. If you are a request to Apple, it will leak.”
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2025-03-04 17:34:00