The UK Pressures Apple Again to Open iCloud Encrypted Backup Backdoor, Raising Concerns in the Cybersecurity and Encryption Community

According to the Financial Times, the UK government has requested that Apple allow access to the encrypted iCloud backups of UK users. Unlike previous requests, this one is specifically aimed at UK accounts, but critics argue that this change still poses serious risks.

Many mobile wallets, including Coinbase Wallet, Uniswap Wallet, Zerion, Crypto.com DeFi Wallet, and MetaMask, allow users to back up their encrypted private keys in iCloud, and this change could expose users to attack risks.

Although the key backups are encrypted, accessing the files may still be vulnerable to so-called dictionary attacks or brute-force attacks, where attackers attempt all possible combinations to decrypt the files. Therefore, if an attacker gains access to the backup files, the security will depend on the strength of the encryption password.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), a nonprofit organization, stated: "This is still an alarming overreach that undermines the security and freedom of UK users… As we have repeatedly emphasized, any backdoor built for the government will expose everyone to a higher risk of hacking, identity theft, and fraud."

Slava Demchuk, CEO of blockchain forensics and cybersecurity company AMLBot, told Cointelegraph that complying with the UK's request "could be dangerous for ordinary users. The number of threats and attackers will increase. It's simple logic."

Earlier this year, the UK government made a similar request for a comprehensive view of fully encrypted data, not just assistance in cracking specific accounts. The EFF pointed out that this request was made under the powers of the Investigatory Powers Act through a Technical Capability Notice (TCN).

The TCN was initially issued in January this year, forcing Apple to either create a backdoor in the UK or disable its Advanced Data Protection feature (which enables end-to-end encryption) for iCloud. A U.S. intelligence official stated that the UK has withdrawn that request, but Advanced Data Protection remains unavailable to UK users.

Bitcoin (BTC) and the broader cryptocurrency industry emerged under the influence of early digital rights advocacy groups. The development of Bitcoin was primarily driven by so-called cypherpunks, a pro-cryptocurrency organization that opposed the U.S. government's classification of cryptographic technology and prime numbers as munitions for control.

This tradition continues today within the crypto community. Recently, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin criticized the EU's proposed "Chat Control" legislation, which requires pre-scanning client-encrypted messages to detect illegal content.

Buterin emphasized that backdoors designed for law enforcement "inevitably can be exploited by hackers," undermining security for everyone. The EFF also warned that the UK's new requirements similarly expose everyone to greater risks.

Related: Cryptocurrency Hacking Losses Down 37%, Attack Strategies Shift to Wallets

Original article: UK Government Pressures Apple Again: Requests Backdoor for iCloud Data of UK Citizens

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