Apple files a second UK legal challenge over iCloud access and a backdoor dispute

Apple's latest filing, submitted in July to the Investigatory Powers Tribunal, adds a second front to its fight with the UK government over access to encrypted iCloud backups. The case now returns to court after months of escalating tension over how far authorities can push for access to users' data.

The conflict began in early 2025, when the UK government secretly ordered Apple to provide access to Advanced Data Protection data worldwide. According to the Financial Times, that order was later narrowed after U.S. pressure, but a new demand followed that targeted British users instead.

Apple says it does not hold encryption keys, so complying would mean weakening or redesigning the service. After the first order, the company stopped new UK users from enabling Advanced Data Protection, and it has continued to argue that the request would undermine security rather than preserve it.

That stance gets to the core of the dispute: whether Apple can be compelled to weaken encrypted iCloud backups without creating a broader security risk. The company's latest legal move suggests it is still prepared to keep fighting as the case moves through the tribunal.

Does Apple have any realistic way to resist the UK demand without changing how iCloud security works?