Donald Trump forced Yvette Cooper into a major U-turn (Image: Getty)
The White House has succeeded in forcing British Home Secretary Yvette Cooper into an humiliating U-turn over attempts to forcibly access iPhone users’ encrypted data. The Home Office had demanded that Apple create a backdoor access mechanism that could be accessed by the Government to investigate criminals.
Apple insisted that any backdoor that could be used by a government to access encrypted user data could also be accessed by criminals and put individuals’ security at risk. In a statement on Tuesday, the US director of national intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said she had managed to get the British Government to abandon its demands. Ms Gabbard told the Financial Times: “The vice president negotiated a mutually beneficial understanding that the UK Government will withdraw the current backdoor order to Apple.”
Article continues belowADVERTISEMENT
DON'T MISS
Powered by
Naughty children 'wrongly being diagnosed with mental illness and special needs'
Labour unleash new war on pensioners as energy bills soar to pay for green agenda
Labour MP condemns migrant hotel protesters as ‘coked-up yobs' in astonishing tirade
Ofgem energy price cap rise should be fatal blow to Ed Miliband's Net Zero dream
Keir Starmer hammer blow as Labour's popularity plunges to lowest level in 6yrs
Huge boost for Nigel Farage as ANOTHER Conservative defects to Reform
POLL: Who do you trust most on immigration?
Keir Starmer slammed for latest Brexit betrayal as UK set to 'align' with EU food rules
Lee Anderson's 7-word verdict as poll shows what Brits think of migrant hotel protests
Labour friendly fire as Rachel Reeves could derail major Angela Rayner plan
UK faces 'deepening crisis' as pensioners shiver and fuel bills soar
The 7 crazy policies backed by the Labour minister writing Rachel Reeves's Budget
Humiliation for Keir Starmer as voters can't name a single good thing he's done
Andy Burnham is making me laugh my head off - can you guess why?
Nigel Farage makes huge migration announcement unveiling mass deportation plan
Rachel Reeves 'daft new IHT plot' slammed for 'turning grandparents into tax evaders'
Nigel Farage defends Angela Rayner in huge row over ￡800k third home
Ed Miliband is burning through Britain's trust almost as fast as its money
Disaster for Rachel Reeves as UK unemployment to 'hit highest level in 4 years'
Rachel Reeves contagion nightmare as China property collapse sparks UK housing crash fears
Naughty children 'wrongly being diagnosed with mental illness and special needs'
Labour unleash new war on pensioners as energy bills soar to pay for green agenda
Labour MP condemns migrant hotel protesters as ‘coked-up yobs' in astonishing tirade
Ofgem energy price cap rise should be fatal blow to Ed Miliband's Net Zero dream
Keir Starmer hammer blow as Labour's popularity plunges to lowest level in 6yrs
Huge boost for Nigel Farage as ANOTHER Conservative defects to Reform
POLL: Who do you trust most on immigration?
Keir Starmer slammed for latest Brexit betrayal as UK set to 'align' with EU food rules
Lee Anderson's 7-word verdict as poll shows what Brits think of migrant hotel protests
Labour friendly fire as Rachel Reeves could derail major Angela Rayner plan
UK faces 'deepening crisis' as pensioners shiver and fuel bills soar
The 7 crazy policies backed by the Labour minister writing Rachel Reeves's Budget
Humiliation for Keir Starmer as voters can't name a single good thing he's done
Andy Burnham is making me laugh my head off - can you guess why?
Nigel Farage makes huge migration announcement unveiling mass deportation plan
Rachel Reeves 'daft new IHT plot' slammed for 'turning grandparents into tax evaders'
Nigel Farage defends Angela Rayner in huge row over ￡800k third home
Ed Miliband is burning through Britain's trust almost as fast as its money
Disaster for Rachel Reeves as UK unemployment to 'hit highest level in 4 years'
Rachel Reeves contagion nightmare as China property collapse sparks UK housing crash fears
Naughty children 'wrongly being diagnosed with mental illness and special needs'
Labour unleash new war on pensioners as energy bills soar to pay for green agenda
Labour MP condemns migrant hotel protesters as ‘coked-up yobs' in astonishing tirade
Ofgem energy price cap rise should be fatal blow to Ed Miliband's Net Zero dream
Keir Starmer hammer blow as Labour's popularity plunges to lowest level in 6yrs
Huge boost for Nigel Farage as ANOTHER Conservative defects to Reform
POLL: Who do you trust most on immigration?
Keir Starmer slammed for latest Brexit betrayal as UK set to 'align' with EU food rules
Lee Anderson's 7-word verdict as poll shows what Brits think of migrant hotel protests
Labour friendly fire as Rachel Reeves could derail major Angela Rayner plan
UK faces 'deepening crisis' as pensioners shiver and fuel bills soar
The 7 crazy policies backed by the Labour minister writing Rachel Reeves's Budget
Humiliation for Keir Starmer as voters can't name a single good thing he's done
Andy Burnham is making me laugh my head off - can you guess why?
Nigel Farage makes huge migration announcement unveiling mass deportation plan
Rachel Reeves 'daft new IHT plot' slammed for 'turning grandparents into tax evaders'
Nigel Farage defends Angela Rayner in huge row over ￡800k third home
Ed Miliband is burning through Britain's trust almost as fast as its money
Disaster for Rachel Reeves as UK unemployment to 'hit highest level in 4 years'
Rachel Reeves contagion nightmare as China property collapse sparks UK housing crash fears
Read more: Privacy row as Home Office asks for iPhone users' data
Donald Trump with Apple chief executive Tim Cook (Image: Getty)
“Over the past few months, I’ve been working closely with our partners in the UK, alongside President Trump and vice president Vance, to ensure Americans’ private data remains private and our constitutional rights and civil liberties are protected.
“I’m happy to share that the UK has agreed to drop its mandate for Apple to provide a back door that would have enabled access to the protected encrypted data of American citizens and encroached on our civil liberties.”
Ms Cooper’s attempt to access private user data sparked outrage in February, with human rights group Amnesty International warning the move would put “anyone critical of the authorities at increased risk”.
Joshua Franco, the organisation’s senior tech research adviser, said: “Governments have more and more powerful legal and technical tools at their disposal, and research shows that they are using them to target people for protesting, speaking out, or even just because of what they represent.
“Strong encryption is one of the few protections we have against such attacks, and states should be encouraging companies to provide greater protections of our data and our rights, not seeking back doors that will leave people around the world at risk.”
Read more: Keir Starmer humiliated as US government slams ‘worsening human rights’
Read more: Tech Secretary Peter Kyle dismisses US report slamming human rights slide
Read more: Moment Yvette Cooper sparks fury on BBC Breakfast - 'no use'
The Government wanted backdoor access to all iphones (Image: Getty)
Human Rights Watch’s Zach Campbell added that the move was “an alarming overreach by the UK authorities”.
Dray Agha, senior manager of security operations at cybersecurity firm Huntress, explained: “Weakening encryption not only makes UK users more vulnerable to cyber threats but also sets a dangerous precedent for global privacy. Governments argue this helps law enforcement, but history shows that any backdoor created for one party can eventually be exploited by bad actors.
“The broader concern is that this move could pressure other companies to weaken their security, putting personal data worldwide at greater risk.”
A UK official told the FT “we can’t and we won’t” force Apple to provide a back door for encrypted access.
DON'T MISS
Powered by
POLL: Who do you trust most on immigration?
Keir Starmer slammed for latest Brexit betrayal as UK set to 'align' with EU food rules
Lee Anderson's 7-word verdict as poll shows what Brits think of migrant hotel protests
Labour friendly fire as Rachel Reeves could derail major Angela Rayner plan
UK faces 'deepening crisis' as pensioners shiver and fuel bills soar
The 7 crazy policies backed by the Labour minister writing Rachel Reeves's Budget
Humiliation for Keir Starmer as voters can't name a single good thing he's done
Andy Burnham is making me laugh my head off - can you guess why?
Nigel Farage makes huge migration announcement unveiling mass deportation plan
Rachel Reeves 'daft new IHT plot' slammed for 'turning grandparents into tax evaders'
Nigel Farage defends Angela Rayner in huge row over ￡800k third home
Ed Miliband is burning through Britain's trust almost as fast as its money
Disaster for Rachel Reeves as UK unemployment to 'hit highest level in 4 years'
Rachel Reeves contagion nightmare as China property collapse sparks UK housing crash fears
Naughty children 'wrongly being diagnosed with mental illness and special needs'
Labour unleash new war on pensioners as energy bills soar to pay for green agenda
Labour MP condemns migrant hotel protesters as ‘coked-up yobs' in astonishing tirade
Ofgem energy price cap rise should be fatal blow to Ed Miliband's Net Zero dream
Keir Starmer hammer blow as Labour's popularity plunges to lowest level in 6yrs
Huge boost for Nigel Farage as ANOTHER Conservative defects to Reform
POLL: Who do you trust most on immigration?
Keir Starmer slammed for latest Brexit betrayal as UK set to 'align' with EU food rules
Lee Anderson's 7-word verdict as poll shows what Brits think of migrant hotel protests
Labour friendly fire as Rachel Reeves could derail major Angela Rayner plan
UK faces 'deepening crisis' as pensioners shiver and fuel bills soar
The 7 crazy policies backed by the Labour minister writing Rachel Reeves's Budget
Humiliation for Keir Starmer as voters can't name a single good thing he's done
Andy Burnham is making me laugh my head off - can you guess why?
Nigel Farage makes huge migration announcement unveiling mass deportation plan
Rachel Reeves 'daft new IHT plot' slammed for 'turning grandparents into tax evaders'
Nigel Farage defends Angela Rayner in huge row over ￡800k third home
Ed Miliband is burning through Britain's trust almost as fast as its money
Disaster for Rachel Reeves as UK unemployment to 'hit highest level in 4 years'
Rachel Reeves contagion nightmare as China property collapse sparks UK housing crash fears
Naughty children 'wrongly being diagnosed with mental illness and special needs'
Labour unleash new war on pensioners as energy bills soar to pay for green agenda
Labour MP condemns migrant hotel protesters as ‘coked-up yobs' in astonishing tirade
Ofgem energy price cap rise should be fatal blow to Ed Miliband's Net Zero dream
Keir Starmer hammer blow as Labour's popularity plunges to lowest level in 6yrs
Huge boost for Nigel Farage as ANOTHER Conservative defects to Reform
POLL: Who do you trust most on immigration?
Keir Starmer slammed for latest Brexit betrayal as UK set to 'align' with EU food rules
Lee Anderson's 7-word verdict as poll shows what Brits think of migrant hotel protests
Labour friendly fire as Rachel Reeves could derail major Angela Rayner plan
UK faces 'deepening crisis' as pensioners shiver and fuel bills soar
The 7 crazy policies backed by the Labour minister writing Rachel Reeves's Budget
Humiliation for Keir Starmer as voters can't name a single good thing he's done
The move comes shortly after an official report from the US State Department warned that human rights are under siege in Britain thanks to crackdowns on free speech both offline and in the real world.
The report said human rights have specifically “worsened during the year” since Keir Starmer came to power, and flagged the “two-tier” justice system accusations born of the Southport riots last year.
They branded crackdowns of online speech “an especially grievous example of government censorship, censorship of ordinary Britons”.
Read Next
SUBSCRIBEInvalid email
We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our Privacy Policy