US intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard confirmed the UK dropped its mandate after talks with Washington.
Apple had suspended its encrypted iCloud service in the UK following the secret order issued in January.
Questions remain over whether Apple will restore Advanced Data Protection for UK users.
The United Kingdom has taken a step back from its previous demand that Apple provide backdoor access to data stored on iCloud under its Advanced Data Protection (ADP) encryption system. The shift was confirmed by the US Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, who said the move followed weeks of discussions between Washington and London.
Survey“Over the past few months, I’ve been working closely with our partners in the UK, alongside @POTUS and @VP, to ensure Americans’ private data remains private and our Constitutional rights and civil liberties are protected,” Gabbard wrote on X. She also stated that the UK had agreed to withdraw the mandate that would have required Apple to unlock encrypted files belonging to American citizens.
Over the past few months, I’ve been working closely with our partners in the UK, alongside @POTUS and @VP, to ensure Americans' private data remains private and our Constitutional rights and civil liberties are protected.
— DNI Tulsi Gabbard (@DNIGabbard) August 19, 2025
As a result, the UK has agreed to drop its mandate for…
This comes months after reports confirmed that the UK issued a confidential order in January requiring Apple to grant access to iCloud backups worldwide. Apple responded by suspending its ADP service in the UK and challenging the order. Later, it got permission to discuss the matter publicly. The order also drew criticism in Washington, with officials claiming that it violated the CLOUD Act, which prohibits the US and UK from directly demanding access to each other’s data.
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According to officials quoted by the Financial Times, growing pressure left the UK “with its back against the wall.” US officials cautioned that any agreement that undermines the most recent understanding would not be tolerated, even though Britain could still look into other talks with Apple.
It’s still unclear if Apple intends to bring back ADP for UK users after the government backs off. The UK Home Office declined to comment, and Apple has not yet made a statement.
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Ashish Singh
Ashish Singh is the Chief Copy Editor at Digit. He's been wrangling tech jargon since 2020 (Times Internet, Jagran English '22). When not policing commas, he's likely fueling his gadget habit with coffee, strategising his next virtual race, or plotting a road trip to test the latest in-car tech. He speaks fluent Geek. View Full Profile
