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The UK government’s “technical capability notice” demands blanket access rather than merely assistance to access a specific account, according to unnamed sources cited by the paper. While governments routinely request user data from technology companies to solve criminal cases, Britain’s sweeping demand, issued last month, has no known precedent in major democracies, as reported by the Post. Britain’s interior ministry declined to comment, and Apple did not respond to an inquiry outside regular business hours.
By Ropafadzo Mashawi
Britain issues such notices under its Investigatory Powers Act of 2016, which consolidated various existing powers for intercepting and obtaining communications. While security officials argue that data encryption features hinder the capture of criminals, tech companies have long protected their users’ right to privacy. At the heart of the issue is an Apple feature that allows users to ensure that only they, and not even Apple, can unlock data stored on its cloud. Most Apple users employ security features such as two-factor authentication, but a smaller number seeking tougher safeguards enable Advanced Data Protection.
As the UK was consulting last year on changes to the 2016 law, which it claimed were necessary to keep pace with evolving technologies and cyber threats, Apple informed parliament that it would never build a “back door” into its products and might therefore have to withdraw the advanced safeguard in Britain. Britain’s Online Safety Act of 2023, which requires companies to take action against child sexual abuse material on their platforms, has also prompted criticism from tech companies. Companies such as Meta’s WhatsApp and Signal have argued that it threatens the end-to-end encryption that underpins their messaging services.
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