The UK government is expected to soften its demand that Apple create a backdoor to access users’ encrypted iCloud backups, according to sources familiar with the matter. The dispute, which led Apple to disable its Advanced Data Protection (ADP) service in the UK, raised international concerns over user privacy, cross-border data access, and the security of cloud services.
Apple introduced ADP to offer end-to-end encryption for users’ most sensitive data, ensuring that only trusted devices could decrypt the information — even Apple itself could not access the contents. But after the UK government reportedly issued a secret order in January demanding technical access to encrypted iCloud backups, Apple disabled ADP for UK users to comply with the law and avoid a legal confrontation. As a result, iCloud backups in the UK no longer benefit from the highest level of protection.
Initially, the UK government sought to compel Apple to create a backdoor not only for UK user data but potentially for data belonging to users outside the country — raising alarm in the US and elsewhere. Under the UK’s Investigatory Powers Act, Apple could have challenged the technical capability notice, arguing that the costs and security risks outweighed the benefits. However, Apple chose to comply by disabling the feature rather than risk a drawn-out legal battle or introduce vulnerabilities that could be exploited by governments or malicious actors.
Now, according to multiple unnamed officials cited by the Financial Times, the UK government is looking for a way to de-escalate the situation. “The Home Office is basically going to have to back down,” one official reportedly said, noting that senior US figures — including Vice President JD Vance — have expressed strong opposition to the UK’s approach, warning it could strain agreements under the US CLOUD Act, which governs cross-border data access between the two countries.
“It’s a big red line in the US — they don’t want us messing with their tech companies,” one official explained. Another added that the UK is cautious about pushing too hard on issues that could be framed as free speech or privacy concerns in the US. A third official acknowledged that the Home Office had “its back against the wall” and was actively seeking a way to resolve the standoff.