Vice President JD Vance intervened to stop Sir Keir Starmer’s government from forcing Apple to weaken its end-to-end encryption, a move privacy advocates said would have jeopardized millions of users’ security. The UK Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, had requested Apple create a “backdoor” to help authorities combat child abuse and terrorism, but Apple resisted and challenged the order in court.
According to U.S. officials, Vance raised the issue directly with senior British leaders, warning that the proposal mirrored Chinese-style surveillance. He and President Donald Trump pushed for the UK to withdraw the demand, and on Monday U.S.U.S. intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard confirmed that the UK had scrapped its demand for Apple to create a “backdoor” into iPhone messages. She said the decision was reached after close coordination between Washington and London, stressing that the move protects Americans’ privacy and upholds constitutional rights. Gabbard added that dropping the proposal was a key step in ensuring civil liberties are not undermined by government surveillance.
Apple has long criticized Britain’s surveillance laws as “unprecedented overreach,” insisting that end-to-end encryption is vital to protecting user privacy. The outcome also comes as Apple strengthens ties with Trump’s administration, pledging $100 billion in new U.S. manufacturing investment.
A UK government spokesman said London remains committed to safeguarding privacy while ensuring security services can tackle terrorism and child abuse.
