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CNN
16 minutes ago
- CNN
UK government walks back controversial Apple ‘back door' demand after Trump administration pressure
UK Digital privacy Tech giants Digital securityFacebookTweetLink Follow The UK government has backed down on a controversial demand for Apple to build a 'back door' into its technology to access private user data following pressure from the Trump administration. The order could have undermined a key security promise Apple makes to its users — the company has said it has not and would never build a backdoor or 'master key' to its products — and compromised privacy for users globally. UK officials had reportedly sought access to encrypted data that users around the world store in iCloud, materials that even the iPhone maker itself is typically unable to access. US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said on X Monday that the United Kingdom 'agreed to drop its mandate for Apple to provide a 'back door' that would have enabled access to the protected encrypted data of American citizens and encroached on our civil liberties.' Gabbard said that over the 'past few months,' she had been 'working closely with our partners in the UK,' alongside President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, on the agreement. A source familiar with the discussions told CNN that Gabbard spoke with her counterpart in the UK, Deputy National Security Advisory Matt Collins, a few times about the issue, including once when the UK delegation visited the White House. Vance was also personally involved in reaching a deal, engaging in direct conversations with British government officials to come to what was considered a 'mutually beneficial' agreement for both countries, a White House official told CNN. No further details on the agreement were provided. The British Home Office reportedly made the order under the Investigatory Powers Act that lets UK law enforcement compel access to communications and metadata from tech companies in secret, although the agency never confirmed the demand. The Home Office did not immediately respond to CNN's request for comment on Tuesday. Reports about the order earlier this year quickly raised alarm among security experts and tech leaders who worried that Apple could be used by a foreign government to spy on its users. The company in February rolled back a data security feature for iCloud called Advanced Data Protection (ADP) for users in the United Kingdom. The feature provides optional end-to-end encryption for personal data such as photos and messages, meaning only the user who holds the account, not even the company itself could view that information. Without end-to-end encryption, Apple could have access to users' data, meaning law enforcement could legally compel the company to hand it over to aid in investigating crimes. Removing the feature for UK users was widely viewed as an effort to protect more advanced security for users elsewhere in the world in the face of the UK government's demand for a technical back door. But it didn't necessarily address the UK's demand for access to user data globally. Apple said in a statement at the time that it was 'gravely disappointed' to no longer offer ADP to UK users, 'given the continuing rise of data breaches and other threats to customer privacy.' Apple did not immediately respond to CNN's request for comment on the UK government's retreat from the demand. Tech executives, including Apple CEO Tim Cook, have sought to foster close relationships with Trump since he took office in hopes of gaining his support on key policy and regulatory issues. The UK agreement marks the latest instance of the Trump administration convincing a foreign government to walk back regulation of an American tech company. In June, Canada said it would rescind a digital services tax — which Trump had called a 'direct and blatant attack' on the United States and its companies — to restart trade negotiations with the US.
Yahoo
33 minutes ago
- Yahoo
'A little miracle': Dozens of volunteers help launch 'blitz build' project in Johnstown
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – Dozens of volunteers joined hands in a prayer circle early Monday as the Rev. Donn Ed, executive director and founder of Hosanna Industries, offered a few words about their efforts to 'make a little miracle happen here in Johnstown.' A few minutes later, Ed, a former Upper Yoder Township resident, and the rest of the crew started 'blitz' building a new home on the 700 block of Somerset Street in Johnstown's Kernville neighborhood. Construction of the structure is expected to be completed by Thursday, when it will be gifted to Navy veteran Darren Hill through the combined contributions of the Polacek Veteran Home Initiative, Vision Together 2025 and Allegheny County-based Hosanna Industries. PHOTO GALLERY | Polacek Veteran Home Initiative | Walls and Roof Construction | Somerset Street 'There's excitement,' said Becky Hetzer, director of missional resources for Hosanna Industries, which provides many services, including helping at-need homeowners preserve their properties by doing free repairs. 'There's joy. I know that the homeowner has been waiting for this home for months. It's exciting to be part of something that's bigger than yourself. That's what today is about, because it's about a lot of strangers coming together for one purpose and one goal, and that's to build a house this week.' Most volunteers were local, but other helpers came from elsewhere in the U.S. There were skilled laborers and people with no construction experience working together. WATCH VIDEO | Polacek Veteran Home Initiative 'blitz build' begins The Polacek Veteran Home Initiative 'blitz build' project gets underway with a prayer in Johnstown on Monday, Aug. 18, 2025. 'This is going to be great,' volunteer Stacy Martin said. 'In four days, this house is going to be complete, and we're going to be part of it. It's just an amazing thing that they're doing here for a veteran.' Martin was among a group of 1st Summit Bank employees who joined in the effort. 'Well, at 1st Summit Bank, we're all a big family there, so we take care of each other, we take care of our community,' Martin said. Polacek Veteran Home Initiative | Walls and Roof Construction | Somerset Street Rob Hetzer, volunteer electrician of Slippery Rock, assembles the electrical panel during the Polacek Veteran Home Initiative 'Blitz Build' event on Somerset Street in downtown Johnstown on Monday, August 18, 2025. Dr. Martin Little, whose father was a colleague of Ed's, came in from Sacramento, California. 'No other institution builds a whole home in four days. … It's a phenomenon,' Little said. Asheville, North Carolina, resident Anthony Greco, Ed's nephew, was participating in his first Hosanna Industries project. Polacek Veteran Home Initiative | Walls and Roof Construction | Somerset Street Local volunteer Jaden Gordon, of Johnstown, cuts shingles during the Polacek Veteran Home Initiative 'Blitz Build' event on Somerset Street in downtown Johnstown on Monday, August 18, 2025. 'It seemed like a really cool experience and a good thing to do. … It won't be the last. This is cool. I'll probably be up again,' Greco said. The four-day construction project is the culmination of months of preparation work that included a panel of local veterans selecting Hill to receive the home from among numerous applicants. 'The whole concept of it going to a person that not only has been recognized for service to their country, but also recognized for their service and their volunteerism in Johnstown, it's a huge thing,' said retired Army Col. Jeff Pounding, who helped organize the selection process. Solve the daily Crossword
CNN
an hour ago
- CNN
UK government walks back controversial Apple ‘back door' demand after Trump administration pressure
UK Digital privacy Tech giants Digital securityFacebookTweetLink Follow The UK government has backed down on a controversial demand for Apple to build a 'back door' into its technology to access private user data following pressure from the Trump administration. The order could have undermined a key security promise Apple makes to its users — the company has said it has not and would never build a backdoor or 'master key' to its products — and compromised privacy for users globally. UK officials had reportedly sought access to encrypted data that users around the world store in iCloud, materials that even the iPhone maker itself is typically unable to access. US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said on X Monday that the United Kingdom 'agreed to drop its mandate for Apple to provide a 'back door' that would have enabled access to the protected encrypted data of American citizens and encroached on our civil liberties.' Gabbard said that over the 'past few months,' she had been 'working closely with our partners in the UK,' alongside President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, on the agreement. A source familiar with the discussions told CNN that Gabbard spoke with her counterpart in the UK, Deputy National Security Advisory Matt Collins, a few times about the issue, including once when the UK delegation visited the White House. Vance was also personally involved in reaching a deal, engaging in direct conversations with British government officials to come to what was considered a 'mutually beneficial' agreement for both countries, a White House official told CNN. No further details on the agreement were provided. The British Home Office reportedly made the order under the Investigatory Powers Act that lets UK law enforcement compel access to communications and metadata from tech companies in secret, although the agency never confirmed the demand. The Home Office did not immediately respond to CNN's request for comment on Tuesday. Reports about the order earlier this year quickly raised alarm among security experts and tech leaders who worried that Apple could be used by a foreign government to spy on its users. The company in February rolled back a data security feature for iCloud called Advanced Data Protection (ADP) for users in the United Kingdom. The feature provides optional end-to-end encryption for personal data such as photos and messages, meaning only the user who holds the account, not even the company itself could view that information. Without end-to-end encryption, Apple could have access to users' data, meaning law enforcement could legally compel the company to hand it over to aid in investigating crimes. Removing the feature for UK users was widely viewed as an effort to protect more advanced security for users elsewhere in the world in the face of the UK government's demand for a technical back door. But it didn't necessarily address the UK's demand for access to user data globally. Apple said in a statement at the time that it was 'gravely disappointed' to no longer offer ADP to UK users, 'given the continuing rise of data breaches and other threats to customer privacy.' Apple did not immediately respond to CNN's request for comment on the UK government's retreat from the demand. Tech executives, including Apple CEO Tim Cook, have sought to foster close relationships with Trump since he took office in hopes of gaining his support on key policy and regulatory issues. The UK agreement marks the latest instance of the Trump administration convincing a foreign government to walk back regulation of an American tech company. In June, Canada said it would rescind a digital services tax — which Trump had called a 'direct and blatant attack' on the United States and its companies — to restart trade negotiations with the US.
