American lawmakers are taking a firm stance on encryption technology, requiring recently approved National Intelligence Director Tulsey Gabbard to confirm their position on the use of “Bacdors.” Senator Ron Uiden and Congressman Andy Biggs have sent a letter demanding opposition to the British government’s request to Apple to weaken the protection of iCloud.
The UK is utilizing powers granted by the Investigatory Powers Act 2016 to access encrypted iCloud data. Lawmakers argue that if Apple complies, it could undermine cybersecurity not only for ordinary Americans but also for US government agencies.
The letter emphasizes that Apple does not create different encryption versions for individual markets, meaning that weakening protection in one region could impact the safety of all users. Senators are concerned that integrating backdoors into Apple products could jeopardize the data of American citizens and various government authorities.
Citing the 2023 cyber attack orchestrated by Chinese hackers on Microsoft systems, lawmakers point out that storing data without end-to-end encryption makes information vulnerable to hackers.
In response to the UK’s initiative, US lawmakers warn that cybersecurity agreements and intelligence cooperation could be revised. They stress that the relationship between the US and Great Britain should be built on trust, and actions like this undermine that trust.
To further pressure Gabbard, Uiden and Biggs reference her own statements from recent Senate hearings about how encryption weakening threatens citizens’ freedoms and exposes vulnerabilities to attackers. Lawmakers call on Gabbard to confirm these principles through actions and issue a stern ultimatum to Great Britain: abandon the idea of backdoors, or face serious consequences.
In addition, Senators demand answers on whether the Trump administration was aware of the British government’s plans and why Congress was not informed. Gabbard has until March 3 to respond, as Apple is prohibited from disclosing London’s demand, and Gabbard’s office has not yet commented on the situation.