Apple is challenging a directive from the British government that requires the company to establish a “back door” into its encrypted cloud storage systems, the Investigatory Powers Tribunal (IPT) indicated on Monday.
The IPT revealed in a written decision that it had denied the government’s request to keep “the bare details of the case” confidential, specifically noting that Apple is the party involved in the appeal.
Neither Apple nor the Home Office, which is responsible for internal affairs, provided immediate comments regarding the situation.
In February, The Washington Post reported that the UK government had issued a “technical capability notice” to Apple, mandating the company allow access to encrypted messages and photos, even for users located outside the UK.
Apple has consistently maintained that it will not implement a backdoor into its encrypted services or devices, citing concerns that such an avenue could be exploited by hackers as well as governmental entities—an assertion supported by security experts.
In light of the UK authorities’ extensive demands, Apple decided to disable its advanced security feature, known as Advanced Data Protection, for new users in the country.
Subsequent reports from the Financial Times confirmed that Apple had filed an appeal against the government’s order. However, the specifics of the case remain largely undisclosed, and both Apple and the UK government have refrained from publicly confirming the issuance of the technical capability notice.
The IPT ruled that neither Apple nor the British government had validated or disputed the accuracy of reports in the media, stating, “This judgment should not be interpreted as an indication that the media reporting is or is not accurate.”
The Home Office contended that revealing the existence of the appeal or acknowledging it involved Apple could pose a threat to national security.
Judges Rabinder Singh and Jeremy Johnson responded by asserting that they did not consider the public disclosure of the basic details of the case to be harmful to public interest or detrimental to national security.
This ruling follows a private hearing held in London last month, to which media access was restricted.
© Thomson Reuters 2025
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