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Apple is appealing against a British government order to create a "back door" to its encrypted cloud storage systems, the Investigatory Powers Tribunal (IPT) confirmed on Monday. The IPT said in a written ruling that it had refused the British government's application that "the bare details of the case", including that it was brought by Apple, be kept private. Apple and Britain's Home Office, its interior ministry, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The Washington Post reported in February that Britain had issued a "technical capability notice" to Apple to enable access to encrypted messages and photos, even for users outside the country. Apple has long said that it would never build a so-called backdoor into its encrypted services or devices, because once one is created, it could be exploited by hackers in addition to governments, a sentiment echoed by security experts. The iPhone maker in response to Britain's sweeping demands removed its most advanced security encryption for cloud data, called Advanced Data Protection, for new users in Britain.
The Financial Times later reported Apple had brought an appeal against the order, but details of the case have been shrouded in secrecy and neither Apple nor the British government have publicly confirmed the technical capability notice. The IPT's ruling said that neither Apple nor Britain had confirmed or denied the accuracy of media reports, adding: "This judgment should not be taken as an indication that the media reporting is or is not accurate." The Home Office had argued that publicising the existence of the appeal or that it was brought by Apple could damage national security.
But Judges Rabinder Singh and Jeremy Johnson said: "We do not accept that the revelation of the bare details of the case would be damaging to the public interest or prejudicial to national security." Monday's ruling follows a hearing in London last month, which was held in secret with media not allowed to attend..
