The Chairman of the US House of Representatives Judiciary Committee , Jim Jordan , and the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Brian Mast , warned Britain on Wednesday that its order to Apple to create a “ loophole ” to access its users’ encrypted data could be exploited by cybercriminals and authoritarian regimes.
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Apple, which has said it would never create such a backdoor into its services or devices, has appealed the order to the UK’s Inspector General of Police (IPT). The iPhone maker in February removed its Advanced Data Protection feature for users in the UK following the order. iPhone, Mac and other Apple device users can enable the feature to ensure that only they — and not even Apple — can unlock data stored in the cloud.
"These vulnerabilities would not only affect users in the UK, but also US citizens and other users worldwide, given the international nature of Apple's services," they said.
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They called on Britain's Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, to allow Apple to disclose the existence of the order to the US Department of Justice so that it can assess whether it complies with the US-UK agreement, made under the CLOUD Act, which prohibits orders requiring companies to decrypt data.
Under UK law, US companies commit a criminal offence if they disclose or confirm the existence of such an order, even to their own government.
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Related to the above is growing international concern about the balance between national security and user privacy. Many governments are pushing for access to encrypted data to fight terrorism and crime, but technology companies — such as Apple — warn that such actions undermine the security of all users, as they can also be exploited by malicious actors.
Source: Reuters
