UK Demands Access To Apple Users' Encrypted Data

(RTTNews) - The UK government has reportedly demanded access to encrypted data stored by Apple users globally in its cloud service.

At present, only the Apple account holder can access this data, as the company itself lacks the ability to view it.

The request, made by the Home Office under the Investigatory Powers Act (IPA), requires companies to provide law enforcement with necessary information.

Although Apple has not released any statement regarding this matter, the tech giant on its website says that it considers privacy a "fundamental human right."

According to the Washington Post, the request, issued last month, concerns Apple's Advanced Data Protection (ADP) service, which applies strong encryption to personal data stored on Apple's cloud servers.

ADP employs end-to-end encryption, ensuring that only the account holder can decrypt their files.

According to BBC, the Home Office said: "We do not comment on operational matters, including for example confirming or denying the existence of any such notices."

Privacy International called it an "unprecedented attack" on the private data of individuals.

"This is a fight the UK should not have picked," said the charity's legal director Caroline Wilson Palow. "This overreach sets a hugely damaging precedent and will embolden abusive regimes the world over."