A group of bipartisan politicians in America is urging the UK to lift the veil of secrecy surrounding its encryption dispute with Apple. They have written to the Investigatory Powers Tribunal (IPT) before a confidential hearing scheduled for tomorrow.
This case involves Apple’s challenge to a Home Office directive to weaken its encryption, issued in the form of a Technical Capability Notice (TCN) under the Investigatory Powers Act 2016. The law prohibits Apple from even acknowledging the existence of such a notice.
Instead of complying with the order, Apple reportedly removed the affected product from its UK service. The American politicians believe that UK law is preventing Apple from informing the US Congress about any TCNs.
The letter from the US lawmakers calls for the IPT to hold a public hearing on the matter. Signatories include Democrat Senators Ron Wyden and Alex Padilla, Republican Representatives Andy Biggs and Warren Davidson, and Democrat Representative Zoe Lofgren.
The letter highlights criticism from US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who condemned the UK’s actions as a violation of Americans’ privacy and civil liberties. Even President Donald Trump raised concerns, likening the situation to something the Chinese government would do in a conversation with Sir Keir Starmer.
From an American perspective, the main issue is the restriction UK law imposes on American companies responding to Congress. The politicians assert that this hampers free speech rights and limits Congress’s oversight on national security matters.
The letter also points out that both Apple and Google have indicated they would be unable to discuss a TCN if they received one. Given the technical complexity and national security implications of encryption, the politicians stress the need for public scrutiny and debate on the UK’s demands from Apple and other US companies.
The Ministry of Justice, which oversees the Investigatory Powers Tribunal, chose not to provide a comment on this matter.
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Public outcry over apple security
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