It insists it will resist any law that compromises encrypted communication.
WhatsApp has formally asked to join Apple's legal battle against the UK government over secret demands that could undermine encryption and user privacy.
According to The Record, the case stems from a confidential Technical Capability Notice reportedly issued to Apple, instructing it to halt the rollout of Advanced Data Protection, a feature that enables end-to-end encryption of iCloud data, even from Apple itself.
WhatsApp head Will Cathcart warned that the UK's efforts “could set a dangerous precedent” and weaken digital security worldwide.
The Meta-owned platform insists it will resist any law that compromises encrypted communication. Apple disabled the feature for UK users earlier this year but has not disclosed its reasons.
While the government maintains that TCNs only ensure legal warrants can be executed, critics, including intelligence experts and academics, have called for more transparency, arguing that the current secrecy is unjustified. The Investigatory Powers Tribunal has yet to schedule the next phase of the case.
Written by
Dan Raywood is a B2B journalist with 25 years of experience, including covering cybersecurity for the past 17 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 Forum, BSides Scotland, Steelcon and the National Cyber Security Show, and served as editor of SC Media UK, Infosecurity Magazine and IT Security Guru. He was also an analyst with 451 Research and a product marketing lead at Tenable.
