FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson has issued warnings to major tech companies, including Apple, Google, Amazon, Microsoft, and Meta, emphasizing that complying with UK and EU digital laws could conflict with U.S. laws by weakening privacy and data security protections for American users.

Ferguson highlighted that efforts to weaken encryption or enable censorship at foreign government requests pose risks such as increased surveillance, identity theft, and the erosion of free expression for U.S. consumers.

These warnings are part of a broader U.S. government effort, including recent letters, to oppose foreign regulatory demands—such as the UK’s attempt to force Apple to create a backdoor to encrypted data, which Britain has now dropped after U.S. lobbying.

U.S. officials announced that the UK had agreed to withdraw its request for access to encrypted data, preventing Apple from being compelled to create a backdoor, reflecting the U.S. stance against foreign laws that threaten American privacy standards.

This pushback against foreign regulations is also evident in the U.S. lobbying efforts against the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), which, while not requiring lower encryption standards, has raised concerns about potential impacts on privacy and free expression.

Apple’s advanced data protection features, such as end-to-end encryption for iCloud, exemplify the commitment to user privacy, even amidst ongoing regulatory pressures in Europe and the UK.

The U.S. government’s stance is further reinforced by criticisms of laws like the UK’s Investigatory Powers Act and the EU’s DSA, which are seen as attempts to impose censorship and weaken security on tech firms.

Companies have been invited to discuss how they will uphold U.S. privacy and security commitments despite international regulatory pressures, with a deadline set for August 28, 2025.

Ferguson emphasized that Americans do not expect to be censored to satisfy foreign powers, advocating for transparency and consumer rights in the face of international censorship pressures.

The FTC has called for meetings with both large and small tech firms, including names like X, Signal, and Slack, to strategize on balancing compliance with foreign laws and maintaining U.S. privacy standards.

The warnings underscore the challenge companies face in navigating foreign laws that often prohibit revealing surveillance requests, which can conflict with U.S. legal protections.

The overarching goal is to prevent foreign legal pressures from diluting U.S. data privacy protections and to ensure American users’ rights are safeguarded.

Recent UK laws, such as the Investigatory Powers Act, have raised concerns about potential backdoors into messaging services like iMessage, prompting Apple to resist British demands for access.