Trump Criticizes UK Encryption Order for Apple

President Donald Trump has sharply condemned the recent decision by the U.K. government, demanding that Apple Inc. create a backdoor in its encrypted cloud storage. Trump likened this action to the intrusive surveillance practices commonly associated with authoritarian regimes like China.

What Happened: In a recent interview with The Spectator, Trump recounted how he confronted British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer during their meeting regarding the U.K.'s effort to compel Apple to compromise its encryption measures for the sake of law enforcement.

“We told them: you can’t do this,” Trump stated. “That’s incredible. That’s something you hear about with China.”

In response to the demands, Apple has opted to withdraw its Advanced Data Protection system for iCloud in the U.K. instead of complying with a technical capability notice issued under the country’s Investigatory Powers Act (IPA).

Concerns Raised

This order would have necessitated Apple to establish a vulnerability that law enforcement could exploit to access encrypted user data—an action that contradicts Apple's own security framework.

Why It's Important: Other American officials have expressed alarm over the U.K.'s insistence. Tulsi Gabbard, who serves as the U.S. Director of National Intelligence, described the order as an “egregious violation” of privacy rights, asserting that intelligence agencies are currently examining the implications of the issue.

Cybersecurity experts have also criticized the U.K. government’s decision. Professor Alan Woodward labeled it as an “act of self-harm,” while privacy advocate Caro Robson noted that it is uncommon for a company to withdraw a product rather than yield to governmental regulations.

Trump's Previous Discussions

In previous discussions, Trump mentioned the financial penalties imposed on Apple by the EU. He stated that during their discussions, he assured Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, that he would not allow the EU to take advantage of U.S. companies.

During his 2024 Presidential election campaign, Trump reiterated his commitment to protect U.S. companies from unfair practices abroad.

Current Stock Performance

Price Action: As of Friday, Apple's stock closed at $241.40, marking a 1.73% increase. In after-hours trading, it saw an additional gain of 0.21%. Year-to-date, AAPL is down 1.01%, according to the latest data.

Stay updated with the latest developments in technology by following further reports.

Trump, Apple, Encryption