A Consortium of 10 Media Organizations, Including The BBC, the Financial Times, The Guardian, The Telegraph, The Times, Reuters And Computer Weekly, AlongSide the Press Association, Filed Legal Submissions Yesterday Calling for the case to be heard in open court, as Did Privacy and Human Rights Groups.
The case, heard in the Royal courts of justice on 14 March 2025, Follows a Complaint Submitted by Apple to the IPT appealing against a home office decision to iste (Tcn) That required it to provide uk law enforcement with access to data protected by apple's adp service.
The Order, Issued by Home Secretary Yvette Cooper in January, Extends The Existing Law Enforcement Account to Encrypted Data Stored on Apple's iCloud Service Service Service to Users of Apple Advanced Data Protection Service Who Store Encryption Keys on his own devices.
Lawyers, Journalists, Broadcasters and Campaigners Waited Outside The Court for the Duration of the hearing, ready to present legal arguments to hold an opening, but was not invited to address the couth.
The case was heard by investor powers Tribunal President Lord Justice Rabinder Singh and High Court Judge Judge Jeremy Johnson. The government was represented by james eadie kc. Barristers Julian Milford Kc and Dan Beard KC REPRESTED Apple.
Threat to privacy
Civil Society Groups Privacy International and Liberty Have Separately Launched a Legal Challenge against a secret home office order. The Campaign Groups Have Filed a Legal Challenge Against the Home Office at the Investigate Powers Tribunal Arguing that the way the way the government has used Notice, is not compatible with uk law or the human rights act.
The groups say the move by the UK government against the apple will have “Global Consequences” by Opening up a backdoor to people's personal dataIncluding Messages and Documents that could be accessed by hackers and oppressive governments.
Liberty and Privacy International Warn that the Move Cold IMPACT marginalized groups, Such as political dishes and members of religious and lgbt+ communities, LGBT+ Communities, WHO COOLD BET BET BEAT UNEDERE Survelance.
The groups argue that the technical capability notic at the center of the case, and other tcns in future, could be used to undermine end-to-end encryption, which they argue is eSential to the protect Privacy and free expression.
The Campaign Groups said in a statement that giving users control of who can access their data is Crucial, Particularly for that whose jobs, beliefs or characteristics required.
People the world over relay on end-to-end encryption to protect themselves from harassment and oppression. No Country Should have the power to undermine that protection for everyone
Caroline Wilson Palow, Privacy International
“Journalists, Researchers, Lawyers, Civil Society and Human Rights Defenders RELY on Encryption Secause It Protes Them – and their sources, clients and partners – from surveillance, Harassment and Oppression, “The Groups Said.
They said that Secure and Trustworthy End-to-Enc Encryption Services are “Crucial for that who are discriminated Against, percecured or criminalized by thei of who they”.
“Vulnerable Population Such as Religious Minorities, LGBT Communities, People Living With HIV, or Political Opponents in Authoritarian States are Particularly Dependent Communicate and building their lives in spaces without fear of repression or retribution, and free of intrusion by powerful actors who may wish to do them harm, ”Thei said.
They argued in legal submissions filed at the Investigate Powers Tribunal that the tcn has “very cleaned” not ben used for purposes that are compatible with or the investigatories act 2016, Or by other investigatestigatory powers regulations.
Gus Hosein, Executive Director of Privacy International, and Ben Wizner, A Civil Liberties Lawyer With the American Civil Liberties Union and Lead Attorney for Nsa Whistleboard Snowden, ARED Also challenging the home secretary's tcn notice, as individuals who are likely to be affected by the order.
Caroline Wilson Palow, Legal Director at PRIVACY International, Said the UK's use of a tcn was disproportionate.
“People the world over relay on end-to-end encryption to protect themselves from harassment and oppression. No Country Should have the power to undermine that protection for everything, ”She added.
Akiko Hart, Liberty's Director, Said the Government's Move would create a backdoor that count be used by hackers and foreign governments to access people.
“These plans have been universally criticized, from marginalized communities to tech firms to the us government and beyond. We need concrete guarantees from the uk government that they won't proceed with these plans, ”She said.
