Apple Challenges UK ‘Back Door’ Order Over Encryption
The court has ruled that the proceedings will be made public, citing the principle of open justice.
Apple is currently in the middle of a major privacy battle with the UK government, and it’s raising big questions about security, surveillance, and user rights.
At the heart of the dispute is a feature called Advanced Data Protection (ADP), which Apple introduced to give users extra privacy. ADP offers end-to-end encryption for iCloud data like photos, notes, and backups. This means that only the user can access their information, not even Apple has the ability to unlock it.
But that level of privacy hasn’t gone down well with the UK government. Under the Investigatory Powers Act, the government wants tech companies to create ways for law enforcement to access encrypted data, often referred to as a “backdoor.” The government argues this is necessary to fight serious crimes like terrorism and child exploitation.
Apple, however, has been clear from the start: it won’t build backdoors into its devices or services. The company believes that weakening security for one group — even governments — weakens it for everyone. Hackers or criminals could eventually exploit the same system built for law enforcement.
Things escalated earlier this year when the UK issued a legal order requiring Apple to make changes to its encryption technology. In response, Apple pulled the ADP feature from UK devices in February and launched an appeal against the government’s order.
The UK government also wanted the legal case itself to be kept a secret, arguing that revealing details could harm national security. But last week, a panel of judges ruled that the case should be made public, reinforcing the principle of open justice. Privacy groups and news organizations welcomed the decision, saying it’s a matter of huge public interest.
For now, Apple’s ADP feature remains unavailable in the UK while the legal fight continues. The outcome of this case could have global implications — not just for Apple, but for tech companies and users everywhere. It’s a test of how far governments can go in demanding access to encrypted data and how much control users should have over their own privacy.
Apple, for its part, is standing firm on its position saying strong encryption makes users safer, and backdoors aren’t an option.
It’s unclear how many people in the UK were actively using ADP — but the scale of its removal is hard to ignore. Apple controls nearly half of the UK’s smartphone market, with around 40 million iOS users. For them, this fight isn’t just about encryption — it’s about having the option to control what happens to their data.
Emmanuel Oyedeji
