US Lawmakers Push to End Data Sharing Agreement with UK Over Encryption Backdoor Concerns

Two Republican members of Congress are pressing the Trump administration to reevaluate a critical international data-sharing agreement in response to reports that the United Kingdom ordered Apple to create a backdoor into its encrypted systems.

According to Reuters, Ohio Representative Jim Jordan and Arizona Representative Andy Biggs have called on Attorney General Pam Bondi to terminate and renegotiate the data-access agreement established between the United States and the United Kingdom under the CLOUD Act. The agreement, which has been in effect since 2019 and was renewed last year, enables the U.K. to request data from U.S.-based technology companies such as Apple during criminal investigations. However, it expressly prohibits access to information involving U.S. citizens.

In a letter reviewed by Reuters, the lawmakers warned that the existing agreement may no longer provide sufficient protections for American citizens. They urged that any renegotiated deal must “adequately protect American citizens from foreign government surveillance.”

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The concerns stem from a report by The Washington Post in February, which revealed that the British government ordered Apple to develop a mechanism to access end-to-end encrypted data stored by users globally. Apple subsequently removed its Advanced Data Protection feature for users in the U.K. and is now challenging the order in court.

Per Reuters, U.S. officials fear that the U.K.’s directive may run afoul of the CLOUD Act, formally known as the Clarifying Lawful Overseas Use of Data Act, by potentially granting the U.K. access to data belonging to U.S. citizens—an outcome the agreement was explicitly designed to prevent.

Jordan and Biggs expressed grave concerns about the broader implications of the U.K.’s request, warning that it could jeopardize the security of all Apple users. “We are … concerned that the order exposes all Apple users, including American citizens, to unnecessary surveillance and could enable foreign adversaries and nefarious actors to infiltrate such a backdoor,” they wrote.

Source: Reuters