White House Feared UK Could Use iCloud Backdoor to Spy on Trump and Farage

A White House security official reportedly warned in September 2026 that the UK was making another attempt to place a backdoor in iCloud via a secret court process and could use it to track figures like Trump and Farage. Apple removed Advanced Data Protection from the UK rather than build access. The dispute is before the Investigatory Powers Tribunal.

• UK issued a Technical Capability Notice in January 2025 under the Investigatory Powers Act
• Apple pulled Advanced Data Protection from UK users instead of building access
• Apple, Privacy International and Liberty are challenging the order at the Investigatory Powers Tribunal
• Standard iCloud encryption for 15 data categories remains for UK users