Over 100 cyber security experts have demanded Home Secretary Yvette Cooper drops demands for Apple to create a "backdoor" allowing the government access to encrypted communications.
It follows revelations the Home Office issued a secret order requiring the company give the UK access to material stored by any Apple user anywhere in the world on its cloud servers.
The intervention has raised alarm bells among members of congress in the US who believe it will weaken security for normal people and government agencies which use iPhones for official business.
Robin Wilton, senior director of the Internet Society who signed the letter told Computer Weekly: “The UK government has insisted not only on accessing Apple’s data, but insisted on access to it even after it reaches the United States.”
The letter warns that the move by the UK government to secretly undermine the security of Apple’s encrypted storage creates the risk that Apple and other technology companies may pull their services out of the UK.
It states: “For some global companies, they may choose to leave the UK market rather than face the global reputational risks that breaching the security of their products would entail.
“UK companies will also suffer reputational damage, as foreign investors and consumers will consider whether their products are riddled with secret UK government-mandated security vulnerabilities.”
More than 100 cybersecurity experts have called on Home Secretary Yvette Cooper to abandon her request for Apple to create a "backdoor" that would allow the government access to encrypted communications. This demand comes after it was revealed that the Home Office issued a secret order requiring Apple to provide the UK with access to data stored by any Apple user worldwide on its cloud servers.
This intervention has sparked concern among members of Congress in the US, who fear that weakening security measures for normal individuals and government agencies that use iPhones for official purposes. Robin Wilton, senior director of the Internet Society, who signed the letter, expressed his concerns to Computer Weekly, stating that the UK government is not only seeking access to Apple's data but also demanding access to it even after it has reached the United States.
The letter highlights the potential consequences of the UK government's covert actions to undermine the security of Apple's encrypted storage. It warns that such actions could lead to Apple and other tech companies withdrawing their services from the UK. This could result in reputational damage for UK companies, as foreign investors and consumers may question whether their products are compromised by secret UK government-mandated security vulnerabilities.
