UK demands backdoor, US refuses Trudy Gabbard, the Director of National Intelligence, said that the British government secretly demanded that Apple create backdoors to access encrypted data of American users. The situation caused a sharp reaction in Washington, and Apple suspended the provision of its services in the UK.
The UK government demanded that Apple create a backdoor that would allow government agencies to access encrypted user data. This became known from an investigation by the Washington Post, to which the US authorities immediately responded. US reaction 📢 Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard sent an official letter to Senators Ron Wyden and Andy Biggs, in which she noted that the UK did not inform the US side of this demand. In response to this pressure, Apple withdrew one of its key data protection tools from the British market. Hubbard stressed that the UK’s demands violate Americans’ rights and could pose a serious cyber threat. Does the UK have a legal basis? Under the bilateral Cloud Law Agreement, the UK cannot request data on US citizens without US consent. Preliminary analysis suggests that the agreement is fully applicable to the Apple situation.
This is not the first time that governments have required companies to access encrypted data. Australia and the EU have considered similar initiatives in the past. Opponents of such measures believe that creating backdoors would weaken cybersecurity and open loopholes for hackers. Apple has repeatedly opposed such demands, arguing that encryption is an important element of privacy protection.
Hubbard said the US would discuss the situation with its British counterpart and assess the potential threat. Meanwhile, experts emphasize that the backdoor problem could affect the future of digital security worldwide.
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