UK Government’s Tech Dispute with Apple Escalates
The ongoing conflict between the UK government and Apple concerning encryption and privacy rights has intensified, as the company has formally challenged the Home Secretary’s authority to issue a controversial notice, reports 24brussels.
This dispute poses significant hurdles in the negotiations for a technology cooperation agreement between London and Washington. Last month, the Financial Times revealed that senior officials in Washington, led by Vice President JD Vance, have been pressuring the UK to resolve its legal battle with the tech giant.
The situation has also drawn attention from the U.S. State Department, which published its annual assessment of human rights records last month. In this report, the Department expressed concerns over UK government efforts that might “reduce or eliminate effective encryption (and therefore user privacy) on platforms,” mistakenly conflating the Online Safety Act with the Investigatory Powers Act.
