Technology
US politicians press secretive British court over Apple surveillance dispute
A bipartisan pair of American lawmakers wants greater openness in Apple's UK surveillance challenge, The Guardian reports.
The short version
- A bipartisan pair of US politicians called on the UK's investigatory powers tribunal to make its proceedings on Apple's legal challenge public.[The Guardian]
- The dispute stems from a January 2025 British Home Office technical capability notice issued under the Investigatory Powers Act.[The Guardian]
- Apple responded to the British mandate by withdrawing its Advanced Data Protection encryption feature from users in the United Kingdom.[The Guardian]
- Apple lodged a renewed complaint in August questioning whether the UK government has the legal authority to issue such capability notices.[The Guardian]
Key facts
- A bipartisan pair of American politicians called on Britain's investigatory powers tribunal to stop concealing its handling of Apple's legal challenge.[The Guardian]
- The British Home Office served Apple with a technical capability notice under the Investigatory Powers Act in January 2025.[The Guardian]
- Apple removed its Advanced Data Protection encryption feature from UK customers in response to the order.[The Guardian]
- Apple submitted a complaint to the tribunal in August contesting the UK government's power to issue technical capability notices.[The Guardian]
What remains uncertain
- It is unknown how Britain's investigatory powers tribunal will respond to demands for open proceedings.[The Guardian]
Sources
Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.