US senator's letter suggests Apple may not be the only tech company fighting UK's ‘backdoor' entry request
Tulsi Gabbard
, Director of National Intelligence, to initiate an investigation into the UK's alleged digital spying practices, raising alarms that British surveillance laws may be compromising the private data of millions of Americans. In a letter, Wyden suggested that Google, alongside
Apple
, may have been secretly pressured to allow 'backdoor' access to user data. The senator's concern stems from Google's refusal to clarify if it has received such a demand, stating only that it would be prohibited from disclosing such a request if one existed.
Citing the letter, The Washington Post said Google told the Senator's office it could not confirm or deny whether the British government had demanded 'backdoor' access to private user data on its services. This raises serious questions about whether Google, like Apple, has faced such secret demands.
Apple has resisted the attempts to access
encrypted user data
, with reports surfacing earlier this year that the UK Home Office had secretly ordered Apple to create a backdoor for encrypted messages. In response, Apple disabled its most secure data storage option for UK users, while maintaining it globally.
Wyden had previously written to Gabbard, urging her to demand the UK retract its order. Gabbard had concurred, calling such a backdoor demand 'a clear and egregious violation of Americans' privacy and civil liberties.' Apple is currently challenging the order in a British surveillance court.
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Google may have faced Apple-like pressure from UK: Wyden
Wyden's latest letter suggests that the privacy implications extend far beyond Apple users. While Meta, offering encrypted messaging via WhatsApp and Instagram, told Wyden's office in March it had received no such backdoor requests from the UK, Google's non-committal response is deeply troubling, he said.
'When my office asked Google about backdoor demands from the UK, the company did not answer the question, only stating that if it had received [such a demand], it would be prohibited from disclosing that fact,' Wyden wrote, noting this was the same response Apple had previously given.
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