Civil society and experts oppose UK government move against encryption
In a joint letter to Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, the signatories warned that creating backdoors would endanger user privacy, harm the UK’s tech sector, and undermine national security. They stressed that encryption is vital for protecting citizens, businesses, and vulnerable groups, as well as for maintaining international trust in UK digital products.
On 13 February 2025, a coalition of 109 civil society organisations, companies, and cybersecurity experts published a joint letter to UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, urging the Home Office to withdraw its request that Apple build a backdoor into its end-to-end encrypted services. The letter, coordinated by members of the Global Encryption Coalition, remained open for additional signatories until 20 February. By its close, the initiative had gathered 239 signatures.
The joint letter highlights that the UK Government reportedly issued a Technical Capability Notice (TCN) to Apple under Section 253 of the Investigatory Powers Act 2016. This notice would have required the company to create a systemic weakness in its encrypted cloud services, potentially affecting the security and privacy of users not only in the UK but worldwide. Experts stressed that creating government access to end-to-end encrypted data is technically incompatible with maintaining secure encryption.
The signatories warned that weakening encryption undermines the safety of millions of users, the resilience of the UK’s digital economy, and national security. The UK National Audit Office recently described the cyber threat facing the government as ‘severe.’ Former National Cyber Security Centre director Ciaran Martin also emphasised that end-to-end encryption must remain legally protected to safeguard the country’s digital infrastructure.
The letter also drew attention to international human rights standards, noting that both the European Court of Human Rights and other bodies have recognised encryption as essential for protecting privacy and freedom of expression. A 2024 ruling by the Court found that Russia’s demand for Telegram to provide encryption keys violated human rights law. The coalition warned that weakening confidentiality would disproportionately harm vulnerable groups, such as domestic violence survivors and LGBTQ+ individuals, who rely on secure communication tools for safety.
From an economic perspective, the signatories cautioned that forcing companies to introduce backdoors could drive businesses away from the UK market and damage the reputation of UK-based technology firms. International investors and consumers may question the integrity of products if they believe they contain hidden government-mandated vulnerabilities.
The letter concludes that the UK’s own national security interests depend on strong encryption, which protects not only individuals and businesses but also government services and officials from coercion and cyberattacks. The coalition, therefore, called on the Home Office to end the use of the Technical Capability Notice directed at Apple.
