Members of key congressional oversight committees have called on the United States' new top intelligence director to pressure the United Kingdom to withdraw its controversial demand for Apple to create a backdoor into encrypted user data stored in iCloud, according to The Washington Post.
Last week The Post revealed that a secret UK order, issued under the Investigatory Powers Act last month, demanded Apple to provide access to data protected by its Advanced Data Protection feature, which offers end-to-end encryption for iCloud storage. The mandate would apply globally, potentially affecting users worldwide, including Americans.
But in a letter sent Thursday to national intelligence director Tulsi Gabbard, senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) and representative Andy Biggs (R-AZ) warned that the British order poses significant risks to Americans' privacy and security. The bipartisan pair suggested that if the UK doesn't back down, the US should consider limiting intelligence sharing and cybersecurity cooperation between the two countries.
"If Apple is forced to build a backdoor in its products, that backdoor will end up in Americans' phones, tablets, and computers," the lawmakers wrote, going on to express concerns about the security of sensitive data stored by government agencies on Apple devices.
The legislators also pointed to recent Chinese hacking campaigns as evidence that backdoors intended for law enforcement could be exploited by malicious actors. They referenced the "Salt Typhoon" attacks, which targeted phone networks by exploiting systems designed for law enforcement surveillance.
"The US government must not permit what is effectively a foreign cyberattack waged through political means," the lawmakers wrote. "If the UK does not immediately reverse this dangerous effort, we urge you to reevaluate US-UK cybersecurity arrangements and programs as well as US intelligence sharing with the UK."
Apple has long opposed the UK's plans to demand access to iCloud encrypted content, or indeed any form of backdoor in its encrypted services. By contrast, US law enforcement has historically resisted end-to-end encryption, but recent major cyber attacks have led to increased support for stronger security measures.
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