The UK government’s secret order to Apple demanding it backwards the end-to-end encrypted version of its iCloud Storage Service has now been challenged by two civil rights groups, Liberty and Privacy International, which presented complaints on Thursday. They called the order “unacceptable and disproportionate” and warned of “global consequences”, as it is thought that the access order extends to non-UK users.
The couple, along with two named individuals – the Exec director of Privacy International Gus Hosein and the advocate of the Civil Liberties Ben Wizner – instructed law firm Leigh Day to challenge Home Secretary
Yvette Cooper’s decision to serve Apple with a so-called technical capable notice (TCN) under the Investigation Powers Act (IPA). The existence of the secret order appeared only by Press reports last month.
“International privacy and freedom fears that this TCN, or similar TCNs in the future, could be used to undermine end-to-end encryption essential for the protection of privacy and free expression,” they write in a press release.
Apple has already filed a legal challenge To the TCN -and its appeal must be heard from the Investigation Powers Court (IPT), the body that controls complaints against UK intelligent agencies. Both Civil Rights Groups, Hosein and Wizner claim that they are direct victims of the TCN decision of the government and are requested for their complaints to join Apple.
They also call for the case to be heard publicly, rather than behind closed doors – by joining Earlier Calls of Privacy Rights Groups. The IPT audience is thought to be scheduled for today, Friday, March 14th.
