US Intelligence Director Slams UK’s Secret Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor

The Director of National Intelligence (DNI), Tulsi Gabbard, has expressed 'grave concern' over the UK's secret demand that Apple disable encryption on devices to allow government access. This move by the UK sparked controversy and a bipartisan response from US Senators Ron Wyden and Andy Biggs, who wrote to Gabbard about the issue. Gabbard replied, stating that the US was not informed of the order and learned of it through press reports. She has initiated an investigation involving multiple US intelligence agencies and is examining the UK's actions under the bilateral Cloud Act agreement, which prohibits the UK from demanding data on US citizens or those within the US. Apple responded by disabling certain end-to-end encryption in the UK to avoid compliance with the secret order. This decision could potentially weaken security for UK users and indirectly compromise US users through UK contacts. The situation may lead to a reduction in intelligence sharing between the US and the UK, as Gabbard emphasizes the importance of both national security and constitutional rights.