UK Court Rules Against Secret Encryption Battle with Apple, Shining Light on Government Overreach

UK Court Rejects Government's Request for Secret Hearing on Apple Encryption Case

The UK government's attempt to keep its legal battle with Apple over end-to-end encryption secret has been thwarted by a court ruling. Tribunal judges rejected the government’s request to hold the hearing in complete secrecy, emphasizing that it would be 'truly extraordinary' to do so without any public acknowledgment.

Background

The conflict began in February when the UK government secretly ordered Apple to create a backdoor into iCloud encryption. In response, Apple removed its Advanced Data Protection feature from the UK market but maintained end-to-end encryption for other sensitive data like passwords, health information, and iMessage.

Apple, unable to publicly discuss the demands due to legal restrictions, took the matter to the Powers Tribunal, filing a complaint against the government’s order. Despite public pressure, the initial hearing was held in secret.

Government's Argument

The UK government argued that making the details public would damage national security. However, the tribunal judges found this argument lacking, citing extensive media coverage of the dispute and the legal principle of open justice.

Tribunal Ruling

In a published ruling, the judges stated:

• Conducting a hearing entirely in secret without any public acknowledgment would be 'truly extraordinary.'
• Revealing the basic details of the case would not damage the public interest or national security.

This decision opens the door for more information to become public as the legal battle continues.