Apple Files Lawsuit with UK Investigatory Powers Tribunal Over New Technical Capability Notice for iCloud
Apple has filed a lawsuit with the UK Investigatory Powers Tribunal challenging a new Technical Capability Notice that requires access to encrypted iCloud backups of UK users. The notice, issued under the Investigatory Powers Act in 2025, follows the Home Office's withdrawal of a broader request after a diplomatic dispute with Washington. The tribunal has informed Privacy International of the case. Legal restrictions bar Apple and the Home Office from disclosing the notice's details.
Apple formally filed a new lawsuit with the UK Investigatory Powers Tribunal (IPT) last month to resist a government order compelling access to encrypted iCloud backups of UK users. The move follows an earlier diplomatic dispute with Washington, after which the UK Home Office agreed to withdraw its initial "backdoor" demand that would have affected both UK and US users. However, the UK government subsequently issued a fresh Technical Capability Notice (TCN) to Apple in 2025, narrowing the data-access scope to UK-based users only. The notice was issued under the UK's Investigatory Powers Act, legislation designed to support investigations into terrorism and crimes against children.
The IPT has formally notified the human rights organisation Privacy International of Apple's lawsuit. Due to legal restrictions, both Apple and the Home Office are prohibited from publicly discussing the specifics of the Technical Capability Notice.
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