In February, there were reports the government had ordered Apple to create a way for UK security services to access its encrypted user data.
The UK government has dropped its demands to create a backdoor into Apple’s encryption, according to the US intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard.
In a post on X in the early hours of Tuesday, Ms Gabbard said the UK had withdrawn its demand to access global Apple users’ data if required.
She wrote: “The UK has agreed to drop its mandate for Apple to provide a ‘back door’ that would have enabled access to the protected encrypted data of American citizens and encroached on our civil liberties.”
The US spy chief said it was the result of months of working closely with partners in the UK, US President Donald Trump and vice president JD Vance.
In February, there were reports the government had ordered Apple to create a way for UK security services to access its encrypted user data.
Such orders, called Technical Capability Notices (TCN), are not public and legally, neither of the parties can publicly confirm their existence.
Apple soon withdrew its “advanced data protection” feature for UK users, which offered end-to-end encryption for cloud data storage, meaning only the account holder could see any stored data.
Apple has not responded to a Sky News request for comment on Ms Gabbard’s post.
A UK government spokesperson told Sky News it does not comment on operational matters.
