US Tech Company Lodged the Complaint Last Month at the Investigatory Powers Tribunal, an Independent Court That Probes Claims of Unlawful

The US tech company lodged the complaint last month at the Investigatory Powers Tribunal (IPT), an independent court that probes claims of unlawful action by UK intelligence services. The government had issued a second request for a "back door" to encrypted iCloud data, according to a court order. Britain retreated from its original demand last year after a transatlantic dispute with Washington over encryption.

UK authorities then issued a new "technical capability notice" (TCN) to Apple that excluded American users. Apple is contesting the government's powers to issue TC Ns under the Investigatory Powers Act, which compels firms to assist law enforcement in cases including terrorism and child sexual abuse, potentially forcing access to customer data even when encrypted. The court notified Privacy International of Apple's complaint; the group and Liberty had previously filed a separate challenge against TC Ns, seeking a public hearing and disputing the lawfulness, necessity, and secrecy of the purported Apple TCN.

A case management hearing is scheduled for next month. A Privacy International spokesperson said: "We are happy to learn that Apple is once again challenging the UK's regime of secret orders. While we don't know the substance of Apple's claim, if it relates to the previously reported orders aimed at undermining the security of Apple's iCloud storage, then Apple's claim, alongside ours and Liberty's, is crucially important to preserving all of our privacy and security.

Neither Apple nor the Home Office commented, as both are legally barred from discussing TC Ns. The original TCN sought access to data protected by Apple's advanced data protection (ADP) programme in national security cases. Apple argued that removing the tool, which even it cannot access, would increase vulnerability to breaches, and that a back door would expose all data to potential warrants. Apple withdrew UK customers' ADP access in January 2025. The Home Office maintains the act includes robust safeguards and is used only when necessary."