Why would the UK do that? My money's on a new deal to get access through US intelligence agencies instead of directly through Apple.
this post was submitted on 19 Aug 2025
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Three things seem likely.
First, Apple said absolutely not. British people would need to import their own Apple products, and the UK isn't a big enough market by itself to force the change.
Second, the US intelligence probably shared that we have access already and they can have it too. Even if that's not true, that's what it looks like if you read between the lines, and a wink is as good as a nod to a conservative who gets their news from social media. So Apple doesn't have to compromise their customer privacy, and the UK gets some political cover from the implication that Apple can't actually protect their customers' privacy.
Third, Apple may have simply conceded but won't admit it publicly. The US administration, in exchange for gold baubles, negotiated a compromise where Apple gives the UK the back door, but the UK does not admit that they have access.
I don't know which one happened, but all three seem plausible. It could be a mix of any of them, or maybe something else entirely. I dunno, I haven't had coffee yet today.
Or, the most likely option - Apple isn’t going to build a backdoor which breaks encryption, and the UK trying to force a USA company to do it so they can spy on Americans isn’t going to fly with the US government.
If you build a backdoor to break encryption then you have no encryption.
The first option is unlikely, Apple said no but the UK were probably already speaking to their Five Eyes pals in the US. I don't think they ever expected Apple to relent and it was all just a gambit in the larger picture.
The second option, by far the most likely in my opinion.
The third option, the US doesn't need Apple to cooperate so this also seems unlikely.
Remember, any individual or group of people can be subject to secret gag orders around US intelligence capabilities. Tim Cook can say whatever he says, but you can't believe a word of it as a result.
If you seriously think that this US government made a deal to give the UK this data you haven’t been paying attention - firstly because they don’t even have a backdoor into Apple software, and secondly because they’re firmly against foreign nations infringing on their freedom of speech.
This is the right decision, but you have to wonder how it was arrived at.
Fuck off Nazi scum.
I'm pretty sure Apple would exit the UK before complying with that, anyways. The damage they'd take in the global market would far outweigh the value of complying.