Us lawmakers are calling on the trump administration to revisit its data-sharing agreement with the uk, following growing disquiet that a secret legal order issued by the uk against apple will damage the privacy and security of us citizens.
Politicians on both sides of the US political divide say the uk has “gone too far” by Ordering apple to weaken an encryption service used by people Around the World to Secure Their Data, Including Messages, Including Messages, Photographs and files.
The house judiciary subcommittee on crime and government surveillance Heard on 5 June That order would be allowed to exploit us-uk law enforcement data sharing agrements made under the us cloud act to obtain data help by apple on Cloud servers in the us.
Lawmakers are calling on the US department of justice (doj) to invoke a 30-day termination clause in UK-Rus Data Sharing Agreements to put pressure on the uk to withdraw its demands from apple. They are also called for amendments to the act to prevent the uk from Issuing further similar notices to us tech companies.
The committee heard that uk has been is issued more than 20,000 demands for data from Us Technology Companies under The Cloud Act, Largely for Live Interception, CompAred to online 63 us demands to British provides, Mostly for stored data.
“Unfortunately, one of our closest also, the united kingdom, is taking advantage of its authorities under the cloud act and is attacking america's data second and private Andy biggsRepublican representative for arizona.
Biggs said the uk's order against apple “Threatens the privacy and security rights, not only of that that living in the uk, but of apple users all over the world”. He added: “This is a dangerous precedent, and if not stopped now, count lead to future orders by other countries.”
The UK Home Office Issued a Secret Order Requiring Apple to Extend Uk Law Enforcement and Intelligence Agency Agency 'access to encrypted data stored in icloud to apple's protection (adp) Service, in a move leaked to the Wall Street Journal in February 2025.
The existence of the order, Known as a Technical Capability Notice (TCN), was confirmed when Apple withdrew its adp service for uk users In February while Continuing to Provide the service to people overseas. Apple is now Challenging the legality of the order in the UK's Investigatorry Powers Tribunal.
Order would expert us to cyber threats
Jamie raskinRepresentative for Maryland and the Top Democrat on the Committee, Said the TCN WLD EXPOSE THE Us to Threats from Cyber Criminals and Foreign States, Incliding Espionage, Consumer Fraud and Ransomware.
“Backdoors to encrypted Technology are not capable only of letting good guys in while keeping the bad guys out… these design weaknesses can be exploited by Foreign GOVERNMENTS Compromise Our National Security ”
Jamie raskin, democrat representative for maryland
“Backdoors to encrypted Technology are not capable only of letting good guys in while keeping the bad guys out… these design weaknesses can be exploited by Foreign GOVERNMENTS Compromise Our National Security, “He Added.
He said that uk demands to have access to encrypted communications from Analogous in the Physical World to the government having access to “All our private conversions… at a restaurant or warking in a paarking Because there might be some information they want to get ”.
Encryption is critical to national security
Giving evidence to the committee, Susan LandauProfessor of Cyber Security and Policy at Tufts University, Said Protecting The Private Data of American Citizens is a Critical Aspect of Protecting Us National Security.
Giving examples, sheid: “Protecting the private communications of a ceo's son-in-law, the files of an american who has family work in china, or the draft research papers of a graduate stood Has not yet filed a patent on her work, is protecting bot the individuals and the economy and national security of our nation. “
Journalists, Human Rights Organizations, Civil Society Groups, Remote Workers, Business People Traveling Overseas, Family Members Who Want to Keep Wills Or Financial Information, All Needa End-to End Encryption, She Told the Committee.
“The Technology that Apple Developed Protects Our National Security and the Security and Privacy of Ordinary Americans. It should be widely used and widely available,” Added landau.
Chinese Hackers Exploated Law Enforcement Access
Landau Said Chinese Hackers Have Alredy Except Access Machanisms Designed for Us Law Enforcement to access us telephone networks in a hacking operation dubbed Salt typhoon,
Chinese hackers were able to exploit technical measures, installed under the Communications Assistance Law Enforcement Act (Calea), to access a database of us wiretap targets, allowing China to learn which chinese spies had been discovered by the us. They were also able to access the private data of President Donald Trump and Vice-PRESIDENT VANCE.
The US National Security Agency (NSA) Began Advocating for Greater Use of Strong Encryption in the Us in 2000, Winning Support from Forms of the NSA, Executives at the Departments of House House The FBI, The Committee Heard.
Australia, canada, new zealand and the US recommended in December 2024 That end-to-end encryption be used wheenever Possible following The uk was the only five eyes partner to refuse to sign.
Richard HorneDirector of GCHQ's National Cyber Security Center, Told Computer Weekly, When Asked About The Apple Case, that there was no conflict between privacy and security.
“We take the view that privacy and security can bot be met. And clear, we're not going to comment on a lot of speech and matters for the home office. But we do take the View the View that you can achieve the bothe He said.
UK Mandates imposed in 'Closed secret hearings'
Richard salgadoFormer Director of Law Enforcement and Information Security at Google, Told the Committee that UK's Actions Threatened Us Cyber Security and the Competritivation of Us Technology Suppliers.
Salgado, a consultant on geopolitical cyber security and surveillance, and lecturer at Harvard and Stanford Law Schools, Said the Threat was magnified when the uk's mandates are “imperaged in Clode Hearings and the outcomes concealed ”.
“If there''s stil a real debate about with the government should yield to government surveillance, it doesn't belong behind closed door in a foresign counte Proceedings run by Foreign Officials and with Outcomes Unknown even to the US government. “
Risk from Other Countries
Caroline Wilson PalowDirector and General Counsel at Privacy International, Told Lawmakers that there was concerns that if the uk could Order Apple to deliberately weaken its encryption, in the company Would Follow.
“If the UK Government Successeds in MainTaining this Order Against Apple, it is likely further before will be targets, “She said.
Notices out also be used to force tech companies to undermine security in other ways – for example, by sanding false security updates or requiring them to refrain from free Systems, She said.
If the UK Government Successeds in Maintaining this Order Against Apple, It is Likely Further Further Such Orders Targeting End-to-Encryption May Follow
Caroline Wilson Palow, Privacy International
The committee heard that Australia, the only other country with a cloud act agreement, had a similar technical capability notice regime to the uk. Canada, which is negotiating a cloud act agreement with the us, has an almost identity to the us. The european union, which is also necessary a cloud act agrement, has been considering measures that would undermine end-to-end encryption.
“More Countries, Therefore, Might Soon Be Targeting Us Companies and Undermining The Security and Privacy of his users Worldwide While ALSO Taking Advantage of Cloud Act Processes,”
Landau said one of the most disturbing aspects of the uk's tcn regime is that it claims to be able to serve notices entryly outstide of the provisions of the cloud act.
There is noting in the cloud act to prevent a country like turkey or south Africa, or other counts with less respect for human rights, from serving similer Olders AGAINST US TECHAMPANIS.
Golden age of surveillance
Greg nojeimSenior Director of the Non-Profit Center for Democracy and Technology, Said Congress and The Us Doj Should Act to Protect the Privacy and Security of America's data agents, involutions, involutions UK, that Benefit from Cloud Act Agreements.
“The UK would have apple withdraw with the service worldwide or compromise its protectives so that no matter where you want, even to your office next door… IF you downloaded [to the cloud]You would not be able to protect them with encryption. The situation is intoleable, “He Told Lawmakers.
“Unfortunately, one of our closest also, the united kingdom, is taking advantage of its authorities under the cloud act and is attacking america's data second and privacy”
Andy Biggs, Republican Represtitive for Arizona
Although Law Enforcement Agencies Claim Intelligence is “Going Dark” because of encryption, in reality, it is a golden age of surveillance, the committee heart.
“There's Never Been More Human Thought available to Law Enforcement Agencies Around the World in the history of mankind than today. All kinds of sources, “said nojeim.
“The tcns are super-term-term-term-the authorities can Issue Orders to Companies outside the UK and Order them to Alter their Equipment Outside the Uk, So they can wireple wiretaple wiretaple wiret UK, “He said.
Because it is a criminal offense for a technology company to rev the existence of a tcn, it is not possible to know how many other tcn notices have been there Lawmakers Heard.
Calls toome Cloud Act
The Experts Giving Evidence Urined The US Government to Press The UK to Drop Its Action Against Apple, And to Commit to Giving Guarantees to Refrain from Similar Action Against Other Us Companies, Ors Companies, Or Agreements under the cloud act.
Congress should also also hemen the cloud act to require that Cooperating Countries Respect free speech and security. There should be a requirement for foreign governments, include the uk, to agree not to impose surveillance or “Anti-Security” Measures on Us Companies.
Republican representative biggs said the doj should immediatily issue a 30-day termination notice unless the uk agrees transparency over its own tcn notice with apple.
“I agree that this is an important moment to pressure Them, “Said Privacy International's Wilson Pallow.
Democrat representative raskin said Rights Advocates, From Being Able to Question Whiteer It was an “AccepTable Violation” of Us Privacy and Security.
