UK abandons Apple iCloud backdoor mandate, US intelligence chief says

What just happened? It appears last month's report that the UK government wanted to drop demands that Apple make a backdoor into its encrypted services were accurate. Tulsi Gabbard, US Director of National Intelligence, has confirmed that the UK has abandoned its plans for the controversial mandate.

Writing in a post on X, Gabbard said she had been working closely with the UK, President Trump, and Vice-President Vance to reach a deal that ensures Americans' private data remains private and our Constitutional rights and civil liberties are protected.

Over the past few months, I've been working closely with our partners in the UK, alongside @POTUS and @VP, to ensure Americans' private data remains private and our Constitutional rights and civil liberties are protected.

As a result, the UK has agreed to drop its mandate for…

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

In January, the British government issued ...