US Spy Chief Declares UK Has Withdrawn Apple Backdoor Request

The United Kingdom has withdrawn its request for privileged access to Apple’s cloud infrastructure, often termed a “backdoor,” following negotiations with the Trump administration, according to U.S. National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard.

“As a result, the U.K. has chosen to retract its demand for Apple to create a ‘backdoor’ that would have permitted access to the encrypted information of American citizens, thus violating our civil liberties,” Gabbard shared on X. She also highlighted her partnership with President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance during the discussions.

In recent months, I’ve worked closely with our UK partners, along with @POTUS and @VP, to protect the privacy of Americans’ data and uphold our Constitutional rights and civil liberties.

Consequently, the UK has consented to abandon its requirement for…

— DNI Tulsi Gabbard (@DNIGabbard) August 19, 2025

This development adds a surprising twist to a lengthy saga where the U.K. government secretly demanded Apple provide access—effectively a backdoor—to the encrypted data of iCloud users universally, especially those using Advanced Data Protection (ADP), an optional security feature. ADP enables end-to-end encryption for iCloud, ensuring that only the user can access their files stored on Apple’s servers.

The existence of the legal request was initially reported by The Washington Post in February, made under the U.K.’s Investigatory Powers Act 2016, commonly known as the Snoopers’ Charter. This demand sparked worldwide outrage among privacy and security advocates who argued that complying with the U.K. government’s request would compromise global privacy and encourage similar demands from other governments across various technologies.

Initially, Apple responded by disabling ADP in the U.K., preventing new users from activating it. The company also indicated it would advise existing users who “will eventually need to disable this security feature.”

Meanwhile, Apple is said to have contested the backdoor mandate in court, a case that was initially kept private but later decided to be publicly heard.

Neither Apple nor the U.K. Home Office, which introduced the demand on behalf of the British government, responded to requests for comments.

Olivia Coleman, the press secretary for the U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence, referenced a letter from February addressed to Sen. Wyden and Rep. Biggs.

Apple has previously informed TechCrunch that it has “never created a backdoor or master key” for any of its products or services, and it “never will.”