Google confirms it has not received UK backdoor demand for encrypted data
Following scrutiny over secret surveillance demands, Google says it has not been asked by the UK government to build encryption backdoors, distancing itself from reported pressure placed on Apple.
Google has confirmed it has not received a secret surveillance order from the UK government to create a backdoor into its encrypted services. The statement, provided to TechCrunch, follows reports that the UK Home Office had pursued a covert legal order compelling Apple to provide access to encrypted iCloud data, an order Apple is now challenging in court.
Under UK law, companies served with such technical capabilities notices are prohibited from acknowledging their existence. US Senator Ron Wyden, a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, raised concerns over whether other tech firms, including Google and Meta, had been similarly approached. While Google initially declined to answer directly, a spokesperson later stated that the company had not received such an order and had never created a mechanism to undermine encryption in its products.
Meta had already told Wyden’s office in March that it had not been asked to compromise its end-to-end encrypted messaging services like WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger. The developments come amid growing transatlantic tensions over encryption and surveillance, with US lawmakers questioning the global implications of UK surveillance laws.
Why does it matter?
End-to-end encryption is widely used to protect the confidentiality of digital communications and personal data. Legal demands for access to encrypted services, particularly when issued in secret, raise questions about transparency, oversight, and the balance between security and privacy. Google’s confirmation helps clarify the current scope of such requests, but ongoing legal developments, such as the UK’s approach, remain relevant for civil society actors concerned with data protection, freedom of expression, and due process in surveillance practices.
