Apple files new legal challenge against UK encryption access demand

Apple has filed a new legal challenge against the UK government’s attempt to gain access to encrypted iCloud data belonging to British users, as the company continues to oppose demands that would weaken its security protections.



The Financial Times reports that Apple submitted the complaint in July to the Investigatory Powers Tribunal, which handles disputes involving UK surveillance laws. The case focuses on a government order requiring Apple to provide access to data protected by Advanced Data Protection.



The dispute began in early 2025, when the UK government reportedly ordered Apple to provide access to encrypted cloud backups for users worldwide. Apple does not hold the encryption keys for this data, so meeting the demand would require the company to redesign or weaken the service.



Apple later stopped new users in the UK from enabling Advanced Data Protection and challenged the order through the tribunal. The company has repeatedly said that it has never created a backdoor or master key for encrypted user data.



Pressure from the US government later pushed the UK to drop the part of the order covering American users. However, the broader demand was reportedly replaced with a narrower order focused on British users.



Apple’s latest filing shows that the legal fight remains active, with the company continuing to argue that any special access system would weaken security for users.