Out of 6,000 requests, Apple provided UK with iCloud data only four times since 2020

Summary: Apple has only fulfilled 0.06% of requests from British authorities for iCloud user data since 2020, prompting the British government to attempt to enact a Technical Capability Notice (TCN) to force Apple to provide access. In contrast, Apple’s compliance rate is over 43% in the U.S. due to different legal frameworks surrounding data requests. Critics warn that creating backdoors for government access could undermine user security and privacy.

Affected: Apple Inc. and its iCloud service

Keypoints :

• Apple received over 6,000 legal requests from British authorities but only provided data in four cases.
• The British government is pursuing a TCN to enable access to iCloud content, despite Apple’s end-to-end encryption.
• Legal differences and stricter checks in the UK may account for lower compliance rates compared to the U.S.
• Critics express concerns that backdoor access could compromise user privacy and security.
• The existence of a TCN is reportedly secretive, creating potential accountability issues.