UK’s secret iCloud backdoor order triggers civil rights challenge

The U.K. government’s secret order to Apple demanding it backdoor the end-to-end encrypted version of its iCloud storage service has now been challenged by two civil rights groups, Liberty and Privacy International, which filed complaints Thursday. They called the order “unacceptable and disproportionate” and warned of “global consequences” as the access order is thought to extend to non-U.K. users too.

The pair, along with two named individuals — Privacy International’s executive director Gus Hosein and the civil liberties advocate Ben Wizner — have instructed law firm Leigh Day to challenge Home Department Secretary of State Yvette Cooper’s decision to serve Apple with a technical capability notice (TCN) under the Investigatory Powers Act (IPA). The existence of the secret order only emerged via press reports last month.