Open Letter to the UK Government: Apple Scandal Underlines Our Right to Privacy Must Not Be Broken

Open Letter to the UK Government: Apple Scandal Underlines Our Right to Privacy Must Not Be Broken

To the Prime Minister, Home Secretary, and Members of Parliament,

We, the undersigned, are deeply alarmed by recent revelations that the UK government secretly pressured Apple to weaken the privacy protections of its iCloud service by installing a “backdoor” to encrypted data — and did so behind closed doors, without public scrutiny.

This was not just a technical dispute. It was an assault on our fundamental rights.

The tool at stake, Apple’s Advanced Data Protection (ADP), ensured that only users — not Apple, and not governments — could access their data. In other words, it was a shield for our personal photos, messages, and records. The government’s demand would have shattered that shield for everyone in Britain — and set a dangerous precedent for the world.

Privacy is your right. You have the right to keep your digital activity and communication private, including through the use of strong encryption.

The government claims this power is needed for national security. But history — even recent history — has shown how easily surveillance powers can be abused. From spying on journalists and peaceful critics, to suppressing dissent in the name of order, we’ve seen too often how “security” becomes the cloak for overreach.

By forcing Apple to withdraw ADP in the UK, the government has made millions more vulnerable — not just to state surveillance, but to hackers and hostile actors. Worse still, other encrypted services may be next.

We stand against these secretive, sweeping powers. We demand transparency, accountability, and above all, respect for the privacy and digital rights of every citizen.

Do not break encryption. Do not break our trust.

Respect our rights. Reverse this order.

Signed,