The order requires “blanket capability to view fully encrypted material.”
UK government has demanded the right to access encrypted data stored by Apple users.
According to media reports, the order from the UK government was issued last month and requires “blanket capability to view fully encrypted material.”
According to the Washington Post, the office of the Home Secretary has served Apple with a technical capability notice, ordering it to provide access under the sweeping Investigatory Powers Act of 2016, which authorises law enforcement to compel assistance from companies when needed to collect evidence.
Legally, the notice, served by the Home Office under the Investigatory Powers Act, cannot be made public, reports BBC News.
Whilst details are generally under wraps, sources told media about the content.
The Home Office said that its policy was not to discuss any technical demands. “We do not comment on operational matters, including for example confirming or denying the existence of any such notices,” a spokesman said. An Apple spokesman also declined to comment.
Specifically, the notice applies to all content stored using Apple's Advanced Data Protection (ADP), which encrypts the data so Apple itself cannot see it. However this is an opt-in service and not all users choose to activate it.
Written by
Dan Raywood
Senior Editor
SC Media UK
Dan Raywood is a B2B journalist with more than 20 years of experience, including covering cybersecurity for the past 16 years. He has extensively covered topics from Advanced Persistent Threats and nation-state hackers to major data breaches and regulatory changes.
He has spoken at events including 44CON, Infosecurity Europe, RANT Conference, BSides Scotland, Steelcon and ESET Security Days.
Outside work, Dan enjoys supporting Tottenham Hotspur, managing mischievous cats, and sampling craft beers.
