Apple pushes UK court to lift secrecy around encryption backdoor order

Apple has challenged a UK court to lift the secrecy surrounding a recent order requiring the company to provide access to encrypted user data. The UK government has maintained a policy of neither confirming nor denying the existence of such orders, while companies subject to them are also restricted from disclosing that they have received one.

Apple removed the option to enable Advanced Data Protection (ADP) for iCloud users in the UK due to the reported but officially unconfirmed order. In April 2025, judges rejected the UK government's attempt to keep even the basic details of Apple's legal challenge secret, ruling that disclosing the existence of the case would not harm national security.

Recently, Apple launched a second legal challenge against the UK government after the original worldwide order was replaced by a new one specifically targeting British users. At a hearing before the Investigatory Powers Tribunal (IPT) in London, Apple's lawyer argued that the government's secrecy policy prevents meaningful public discussion of the case and undermines the principle of open justice.

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