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US examining whether UK's encryption demand on Apple broke data treaty

Published by Global Banking & Finance Review

Posted on February 26, 2025

1 min read

· Last updated: January 25, 2026

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US examining whether UK's encryption demand on Apple broke data treaty
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(Reuters) - U.S. officials are examining whether the U.K. broke agreements between the two nations with a reported demand that Apple build a backdoor into its encrypted cloud storage systems. Apple

US Investigates UK's Encryption Demand on Apple for Treaty Breach

(Reuters) - U.S. officials are examining whether the U.K. broke agreements between the two nations with a reported demand that Apple build a backdoor into its encrypted cloud storage systems.

Apple last week withdrew an encrypted storage feature or U.K. users after refusing to create a backdoor that would have allowed the government to access backups of photos and messages - including for users outside the U.K.

In a letter dated February 25 to two U.S. lawmakers, Tulsi Gabbard, the U.S. director of national intelligence, said that the U.S. is examining whether the demand broke a bilaterial agreement called the CLOUD Act that bars the U.K. from issuing demands for the data of U.S. citizens and vice versa.

(Reporting by Stephen Nellis)

Key Takeaways

  • US officials are investigating UK's encryption demand on Apple.
  • The demand may violate the CLOUD Act between the US and UK.
  • Apple withdrew an encrypted storage feature for UK users.
  • The issue involves access to encrypted backups of data.
  • The investigation could impact international data privacy agreements.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the main topic?
The main topic is the US investigation into whether the UK's encryption demand on Apple violates the CLOUD Act.
Why did Apple withdraw an encrypted feature?
Apple withdrew the feature after refusing to create a backdoor for the UK government, which would have allowed access to user data.
What is the CLOUD Act?
The CLOUD Act is a bilateral agreement that prevents the UK from demanding data of US citizens and vice versa.

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