The UK government has ordered Apple to create a backdoor into its iCloud storage specifically for British users' data, despite previous claims that Britain had abandoned such efforts.

Apple responded by appealing the warrant and removing its Advanced Data Protection feature from its English-language services, reflecting resistance to government attempts at weakening encryption.

This order follows a prior technical capability notice in January that sought global access to encrypted user data, which caused diplomatic tensions between the UK and US.

Civil liberties groups and news organizations warn that secret orders like this compromise security for all users and could set a dangerous precedent for other companies.

U.S. officials, including Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, have criticized such measures, emphasizing their potential threat to civil liberties and global security.

The debate underscores the ongoing tension between national security interests and individual privacy, with experts calling for transparency and respect for user rights.

U.S. lawmakers have expressed concerns that mandated backdoors could be exploited by cybercriminals or authoritarian regimes, raising significant privacy and security issues.

International pressure, especially from the US, led the UK to rescind the order after US officials voiced concerns about privacy violations and civil liberties.

Legal rulings require UK authorities to keep such orders secret, but a court has ruled that secrecy cannot be maintained in this case, highlighting concerns about undermining product security.

Privacy advocates warn that weakening encryption in the UK could jeopardize global security, making user data vulnerable to malicious actors.

The UK’s renewed request, made in early September by the Home Office, aimed to target only UK citizens' data but still raised concerns about security and encryption integrity.

Experts and Apple oppose the backdoor demand, arguing it is technically unfeasible and threatens data privacy and security worldwide.