Apple launches new legal challenge to UK order for access to encrypted user data

Apple has confirmed that it has launched a new legal complaint against the UK government at a court that hears objections to the use of covert surveillance powers. The company has not said publicly what the complaint covers, but the dispute is understood to concern a Home Office demand for access to highly encrypted user data. The row centres on material protected by Apple's Advanced Data Protection system, which the company says it cannot itself access.

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The latest filing comes after a dispute that has been running since early 2025. Apple withdrew Advanced Data Protection for new UK users in February 2025, and since then UK iPhone users have seen a notice saying the feature cannot be enabled. Apple has said it was "gravely disappointed" that it still could not offer the feature to new users, and it has repeated that it has never built a backdoor or master key into its products or services.

The UK government said it would not comment on legal proceedings or what it described as operational matters. In a statement, it said the UK supports strong encryption and privacy protections, but that law enforcement must also be able to access communications when necessary and proportionate to protect the public from terrorism, serious crime and child sexual abuse. The government's requests were issued under the Investigatory Powers Act, which allows secret technical capability notices to be served on companies.

The case matters because it sits at the centre of a wider debate over encryption, privacy and state access to digital communications. Advanced Data Protection is an opt-in feature that uses end-to-end encryption for iCloud data such as backups, Drive storage, photos and voice memos. That means even Apple cannot view the contents, and any order requiring access would raise questions about whether companies can be compelled to weaken protections for all users in order to assist investigations.

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The dispute has already drawn attention because of the legal tools involved. The Investigatory Powers Act gives the government powers to issue notices that can remain secret, and the first notice to Apple was itself the subject of a legal fight over confidentiality. That notice was later withdrawn after criticism from US politicians, according to the reporting on the case.

Apple's latest complaint suggests the underlying disagreement has not been resolved. What remains unclear is the precise scope of the new complaint and how far the court will go in examining the government's request. Apple has not publicly detailed the filing, and the government has declined to discuss the matter.

The next developments are likely to focus on the legal process itself, the status of encrypted services for UK users, and whether the dispute leads to any change in the balance between privacy protections and lawful access powers.

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