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The Apple legal battle heats up with reports circulating that the company may sue the UK government over user data privacy, safety, and concerns. Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has joined the debate, backing the giant in this Apple vs UK row.
The billionaire gave a one-word approval, "Good” over reports that the iPhone maker has appealed to the Investigatory Powers Tribunal. The company is protesting against an order compelling it to grant exclusive access to user iCloud encrypted files.
Musk famously showed his support in a post on X (formerly known as ‘Twitter’):
The legal battle is over a reported January directive under the UK's Investigatory Powers Act 2016. According to the act, Apple is required to provide government agencies with blanket access to end-to-end encrypted files on iCloud. Instead of obeying the order, Apple disabled its Advanced Data Protection feature in the UK, which provides maximum cloud security, while taking the matter to court.
Apple has consistently resisted building encryption backdoors, saying that any such concession would threaten user privacy across the globe. In a statement, the company reiterated its position:
"We have never built a backdoor or master key to any of our products or services, and we never will."
Despite Apple's opposition, the UK government justified its demand by invoking national security interests in combating terrorism and child abuse. Officials argue that the Investigatory Powers Act contains "robust safeguards and independent oversight" to reconcile privacy and security.
Musk's endorsement of Apple is surprising, considering his previous critiques of the tech giant's privacy practices. Musk has recently criticized Apple's collaboration with OpenAI for adding ChatGPT to Siri, complaining that the company was "handing your data over to a third party."
In this instance, though, Musk seems to concur with Apple's opposition to encryption weakening. Thus, it becomes part of the concerns the larger tech community shows on government-mandated security concessions.
Apple's legal battle may have far-reaching implications for digital privacy worldwide and laws on government surveillance. The results of this case will set a global model for governments and tech companies worldwide on how to navigate user privacy issues while maintaining transparency.
