Britain has reportedly ordered Apple to grant unprecedented access to encrypted user data stored on its cloud, according to The Washington Post. Reports Technology News
The UK government’s technical capability notice demands broad, unrestricted access rather than case-by-case assistance for specific accounts, the report said, citing unnamed sources.
While governments routinely request user data from tech companies for criminal investigations, the Post noted that Britain’s sweeping demand—issued last month—has no known precedent in major democracies.
The UK’s interior ministry declined to comment, and Apple has yet to respond to inquiries made outside regular business hours.
Such notices are issued under the Investigatory Powers Act 2016, which consolidated various surveillance and data interception laws. While security officials argue that encryption makes it harder to combat crime, tech companies continue to defend user privacy as a fundamental right.
