Apple’s Advanced Data Protection (ADP) was supposed to keep iCloud data end-to-end encrypted, with Apple unable to read it. In the UK, that stopped after the government used the law to force Apple to weaken it. The backdoor demand has now been dropped, but ADP still has not come back. This is where things stand.
Timeline
- January 2025 – The UK Home Office issues a Technical Capability Notice (TCN) under the Investigatory Powers Act. Apple is told to weaken ADP by creating a “backdoor” into iCloud.
- February 2025 – Apple disables ADP for new UK accounts. Existing users are told they will eventually need to disable it to keep using iCloud services.
- March 2025 – Apple challenges the demand at the Investigatory Powers Tribunal (IPT), the only UK court that can review secret government orders of this kind.
- August 2025 – The UK withdraws its specific demand for a backdoor. Confirmation comes via the US Director of National Intelligence. Digital rights groups warn that the powers still exist; the government has just chosen not to use them this time.
- September 2025 – ADP is still not available again in the UK. Apple has not said when, or if, it will return.
Why Apple Hasn’t Turned It Back On
- The law is unchanged
The Investigatory Powers Act is still in place. The government can issue another TCN at any time. Apple cannot just turn ADP back on and hope it does not happen again. - The legal case is still open
Apple’s challenge at the IPT is ongoing. Until the tribunal rules, Apple does not have legal certainty. Restoring ADP before a decision could put it back in the same fight. - Apple is being cautious
Apple tends to take a hard line on security features, but it does not need to make this move twice. Bringing ADP back too early could weaken its position if the government comes back with another order.
What It Means for UK Users
UK customers are stuck in limbo. ADP still works in most countries, but not here. The government backed down from the specific request, but the wider problem is unchanged: the UK still has the legal power to demand access.
Until Parliament changes the Investigatory Powers Act or the IPT gives Apple a clear win, ADP is unlikely to quietly reappear for UK users.
Final Word
The government dropped one demand, but the machinery behind it is still there. Apple’s silence looks like caution, not indecision. It is waiting for legal clarity before giving UK users the same iCloud protection that everyone else already has.
