DISPATCHES FROM AIRSTRIP ONE: UK secretly orders Apple to let it spy on iPhone users worldwide.

During Conservative Boris Johnson’s tenure as Prime Minister, the UK government claimed to be in discussions with Apple about creating a backdoor into iOS that would allow it access to all user data. If there really ever were such discussions, they will have been short because US company Apple has refused the FBI the same thing.

Now the new Labour government in the UK is demanding that Apple create this backdoor, according to The Washington Post. Under UK law, it is a criminal offense for Apple to even reveal that such a demand has been made, and so consequently the company has refused to comment.

Sources said to be familiar with the matter, however, say that the UK is demanding total access, a blanket capability to read encrypted material from any user, anywhere in the world. The demand has been served on Apple from the UK’s office of the Home Secretary, and is based on a 2016 law that authorizes the government to compel companies to assist in gathering evidence.

Formally known as the UK Investigatory Powers Act of 2016, but informally called the Snoopers’ Charter, the law initially had its controversial elements removed. In 2016, following objections from Apple and others, the act was passed into UK law without this provision.

The elements were reinstated in 2024 following a Parliamentary debate. Apple said at the time that the elements being discussed could allow the UK to demand worldwide access.

“These provisions could be used,” said the company, “to force a company like Apple, that would never build a back door into its products, to publicly withdraw critical security features from the UK market, depriving UK users of these protections.”

This means that Apple would disable end-to-end encryption for UK users rather than allow a backdoor access that could be used to spy worldwide. However, despite Apple using the phrase “publicly withdraw,” UK law would actually forbid it from telling customers that it had weakened their security.

In Orwell’s 1984, at least Big Brother had the courtesy to remind you he was watching you.