Tulsi Gabbard, the new director of US national intelligence, slammed the encryption feud between Apple and the UK on Wednesday. In a letter to British lawmakers on Wednesday, she wrote that the UK government’s order that Apple creates a “backdoor” in iCloud users’ accounts is a “clear and terrible violation of American privacy and civil liberties.”
“Information sharing between governments, governments and private businesses must be done in a way that respects and protects the laws of the United States and the constitutional rights of U.S. citizens,” writes Gabbard.
Gabbard’s letter comes after U.S. Senator Ron Wyden and Representative Andy Biggs sent her concerns on February 13 about what such demand means for US online safety and privacy. Gabbard reflected his concerns, saying the order “opens up serious vulnerabilities to cyber exploitation by its adversaries,” and could violate a bilateral agreement between the US and the UK.
News of the UK government’s order first surfaced when the Post reported that the Washington Post issued a “technical competency notification” under the right to investigate in its investigation. The government has requested that Apple build a backdoor in its cloud services. This allowed people to access their iCloud accounts, even if their information was encrypted.
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In response, Apple completely removed the encryption feature. The company said it was disappointed that it was not given a choice and was forced to eliminate advanced data protection. Apple emphasizes its publicly fighting back against government demands for user data. It refused to create a backdoor for the FBI in connection with the terrorist attacks in San Bernardino, California in 2015.
Apple did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
In her letter, Gabbard said she was unaware of the British government’s orders until it was reported in the media. She said she requested her counterparts at various US security agencies, including the CIA, FBI and NSA. She added that US national security lawyers are working on legal opinions on the implications of such demand.
The United States and the UK have concluded a bilateral agreement called the Cloud Act. Gabbard said the UK is prohibiting it from issuing requests for data for US residents or anyone in the country. The reverse applies to the US government under agreement.
