The order, which is only known publicly because of a leak, allows the country’s security agencies to access private data of any Apple user worldwide.
A pair of human rights groups are challenging the UK government’s shockingly intrusive order for Apple to create a backdoor into its encrypted user data, as first reported by Financial Times. Privacy International and Liberty have filed a legal complaint with the country’s Investigatory Powers Tribunal (IPT), which is reportedly scheduled to hear Apple’s appeal on Friday.
The complaint argues that Apple’s appeal to the order should be publicly heard. In addition, the groups’ challenge contends that the government’s move violates customers’ free expression and privacy rights by forcing the company to neuter its product security.
« The UK’s use of a secret order to undermine security for people worldwide is unacceptable and disproportionate », Caroline Wilson Palow, legal director at Privacy International, told The FT.
