Apple Battles UK Law That Kills Encryption, Calls It A ‘Secret Veto’ Against Global Privacy

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has sharpened its opposition to the UK government’s proposed amendments to the Investigatory Powers Act (IPA) 2016. The tech giant claims that these changes could potentially “secretly veto” new security features worldwide.

What Happened: The proposed amendments would empower the UK Home Office to pre-approve new security features introduced by tech companies, reported BBC.

If the Home Office rejects an update, it would not be released in any other country, and the public would remain uninformed. This could be especially problematic when zero-day vulnerabilities remain unpatched, allowing malicious parties to exploit them.

The UK government is looking to revise the IPA 2016, arguing that while it supports privacy-focused tech, it is also responsible for ensuring public safety. The proposed amendments will be debated in the House of Lords on Wednesday.

Apple has described the move as an “unprecedented overreach” by the UK government, expressing grave concern that the proposed amendments put users’ privacy and security at risk.

The Home Office responded by stating that decisions about lawful access, which protect the country from child sexual abusers and terrorists, should be taken by those who are democratically accountable and approved by Parliament.

See Also: Tech Giants Comprising Apple, Google, Microsoft, And Others Take A Stand Against UK Surveillance Proposal

While Apple has previously threatened to withdraw Facetime and iMessage from the UK, the proposed law would extend beyond these services to encompass all Apple products.

Why It Matters: This is not the first time that Apple has opposed the UK’s surveillance laws. Earlier in January, Apple and other tech giants expressed opposition to the proposed surveillance laws in the UK, citing potential threats to data security and privacy.

In 2023, Apple joined 80 organizations and technology experts who opposed the Online Safety Bill under consideration in the UK Parliament, arguing that the bill would put people at greater risk from data breaches and surveillance.

Moreover, Apple threatened to pull two of its core services, iMessage and FaceTime, in the UK if the proposed surveillance bill becomes law. The tech giant has consistently opposed the UK government’s proposed changes to IPA 2016.

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