UK Drops Push for Apple Encryption Back Door After U.S. Talks

The UK has agreed to drop its push for Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) to create a back door into encrypted data, U.S. director of national intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said, calling it a win for privacy rights.

Over the past few months, I've been working closely with our partners in the UK, alongside President Trump and Vice President Vance, to ensure Americans' private data remains private and our constitutional rights and civil liberties are protected, Gabbard said in a statement on X.com.

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The original U.K. order, issued in January under the Investigatory Powers Act, faced heavy backlash from Apple, privacy advocates, and lawmakers in both countries. Critics warned it would weaken security globally and set a precedent for governments to demand access to personal data.

According to the Financial Times, Vice President JD Vance personally stepped in during a recent UK visit to negotiate a compromise. A U.S. official said Vance secured a mutually beneficial understanding that Britain would rescind the order, though it has not yet been formally withdrawn.

For Apple and its users, the move preserves the company's encryption stance and avoids what could have been a major turning point in the global privacy debate.

This article first appeared on GuruFocus.

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