US lawmakers criticise UK backdoor order to Apple, warn of cybercriminal risks
An Apple logo is seen at the entrance of an Apple Store in downtown Brussels, Belgium March 10, 2016. REUTERS/Yves Herman
BRUSSELS (Reuters) -U.S. House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan and Foreign Affairs Chair Brian Mast warned Britain on Wednesday that its order to Apple to create a backdoor to its encrypted user data could be exploited by cybercriminals and authoritarian regimes.
Apple, which has said it would never build a so-called back door into its encrypted services or devices, has challenged the order at the UK's Investigatory Powers Tribunal (IPT).
The iPhone maker withdrew its Advanced Data Protection feature for UK users in February following the UK order. Users of Apple's iPhones, Macs and other devices can enable the feature to ensure that only they — and not even Apple — can unlock data stored on its cloud.
"Creating a backdoor into end-to-end encrypted systems, as the TCN does, introduces systemic vulnerabilities that can be exploited by malicious actors, including cybercriminals and authoritarian regimes," Jordan and Mast wrote in a joint letter to Britain's Home Secretary Yvette Cooper.
TCN (Technical Capability Notice) refers to the UK order.
"These vulnerabilities would not only affect UK users but also American citizens and others worldwide, given the global nature of Apple's services," they said.
They urged Cooper to allow Apple to disclose the existence of the order to the U.S. Department of Justice so it can evaluate whether it complies with the U.S.-UK agreement made under the CLOUD Act which prohibits orders requiring companies to decrypt data.
Under UK laws, American companies would commit a criminal offence if they disclose or confirm such an order, even to their home government.
"We urge the Home Office to reconsider the issuance of TCNs that require the weakening of encryption, as such measures conflict with international human rights standards, including the European Court of Human Rights' ruling that undermining encryption violates privacy rights," the lawmakers said.
Britain's Home Office has said a warrant would be needed for any individual's data to be accessed.
(Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; Editing by Richard Chang)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Straits Times
3 hours ago
- New Straits Times
EnQuest to finalise US$84 million Vietnam oilfield acquisition soon
SINGAPORE: UK explorer EnQuest expects to complete the acquisition of Harbour Energy's business in Vietnam in the next month or two and plans to drill new wells to increase oil production there, CEO Amjad Bseisu said. The US$84 million acquisition is part of the North Sea-focused company's expansion outside its home market. EnQuest will acquire just over a 53 per cent equity interest in the Chim Sao and Dua production fields in Vietnam. "We were excited about the asset there as we see development opportunities, and we also see some in-fill opportunities," Bseisu told Reuters earlier this week. "So we'll be looking, once we take over, to investing in the field and trying to increase its productivity." In offshore Peninsular Malaysia, the company is on track to start producing non-associated gas from the Seligi field next year, Bseisu said. Daily gas production will be increased from 14,000-15,000 barrels of oil equivalent to 25,000 boe, he added. The company, along with energy majors, is investing in gas exploration and production in Southeast Asia to meet rising power demand from growing populations and a proliferation of data centres in the region. "Asia is our biggest growth engine now for gas," Bseisu said. In Indonesia, EnQuest is part of a consortium awarded in April the production and sharing for Gaea and Gaea II blocks, which are near the BP-operated Tangguh LNG plant. Bseisu said EnQuest's strategy in Indonesia is to try and find gas close to existing plants. He added that domestic gas production is more attractive than liquefied natural gas (LNG) for governments as it creates revenue, jobs and expands the industry. (Reporting by Florence Tan; Editing by Jacqueline Wong)
Malaysian Reserve
4 hours ago
- Malaysian Reserve
EU frets over US demands in trade talks it sees as unbalanced
THE US is demanding the European Union make what the bloc's officials see as unbalanced, unilateral concessions as part of ongoing trade talks, setting up a tough decision over whether to move ahead with countermeasures if the terms of any deal don't improve. The best-case scenario remains an agreement on principles that would allow the negotiations to continue beyond an early July deadline, according to people familiar with the matter. Among Washington's requests are measures relating to quotas for fish exports that EU officials say may be incompatible with World Trade Organization rules; tariff-related moves that aren't mutual; and a series of demands on economic security described by the officials from the bloc as far-fetched, said the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity to talk about private discussions. Many of US President Donald Trump's tariffs would stay even in the event of a deal, the people said. The EU, which has been seeking a mutually beneficial deal, will assess any end-result and at that stage decide what level of asymmetry — if any — it's willing to accept, the people added. Member states will likely have a range of views on the matter, and a €95 billion list of potential additional tariffs on US goods that Brussels has formulated risks being watered down by requests for concessions within the bloc. A European Commission spokesperson declined to comment to Bloomberg News on the status of the talks. 'We are fully and deeply engaged in negotiations. A negotiated, mutually beneficial solution remains our preferred outcome,' the spokesperson said. The EU is rushing to clinch a deal with Trump before tariffs on nearly all its exports to the US jump to 50% on July 9. The US president has blasted the EU – which he has said was created to 'screw' the US – over its goods surplus and perceived barriers to American trade. Trump spent much of a 20-minute meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen — on the sidelines of the Group of Seven summit in Canada this week — repeating those grievances and complaining about barriers he claims US carmakers face, the people said. The EU estimates that US duties now cover €380 billion ($439 billion), or about 70%, of its exports to the US. The White House didn't respond to a request for comment on Saturday. Trump complained earlier this week about the EU talks, threatening to give up and impose unilateral tariffs. 'We're talking, but I don't feel that they're offering a fair deal yet,' Trump told reporters on the flight home from the G-7 meeting. 'They're either going to make a good deal or they'll just pay whatever we say they have to pay.' Asked on whether the EU would retaliate if a baseline tariff would stay, von der Leyen told reporters at the G-7 that 'from the very beginning, we have always said that we have different instruments on the table and they stay on the table till the very end, and this is also the case today.' The bloc has stepped up its engagement with the US, pledging fast-track negotiations to reach an agreement. Chief trade negotiator Maros Sefcovic held meetings with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick over the past week. The US and EU are conducting in-depth discussions on critical sectors – such as steel and aluminum, automobiles, pharmaceuticals, semiconductors and civilian aircraft – as well as on tariff and non-tariff barriers, in addition to strategic purchases and economic security. While talks are taking place in a positive environment, they remain difficult, particularly with regards to the sectoral duties, said the people. Trump has introduced 25% tariffs on autos as well as on steel and aluminum. He's also announced the doubling of the metals levies and is working to expand tariffs on other sectors, including pharmaceuticals, semiconductors and commercial aircraft. As part of proposals shared with the US late last month, the EU has offered to gradually work toward zero-for-zero tariffs on cars, industrial goods and non-sensitive agricultural goods by looking at quotas as interim steps. The bloc is aiming to address US requests on non-tariff barriers through its simplification agenda, which will cut regulations in a number of sectors. Maintaining the EU's autonomy in regulatory and tax matters remains a red line. Although the EU is pushing to get a reprieve from some of Trump's universal and sectoral tariffs, the bloc expects that many of the levies will remain, leading to asymmetrical arrangements, said the people. Because of that, in parallel to ongoing talks with the Trump administration, the EU continues to prepare counter-measures should negotiations fail to yield a satisfactory result, or if the bloc opts to move ahead with measures to correct any imbalances. The EU has approved tariffs on €21 billion of US goods that can be quickly implemented in response to Trump's metals levies. They target politically sensitive American states and include products such as soybeans from Louisiana, home to House Speaker Mike Johnson, as well as agricultural products, poultry, and motorcycles. The bloc has also prepared an additional list of tariffs on €95 billion of American products in response to Trump's so-called reciprocal levies and automotive duties. They would target industrial goods including Boeing Co. aircraft, US-made cars, and bourbon. Input provided by member states and other stakeholders asking for relief covers as much as €70 billion of the proposed package, according to people familiar, although the bloc's executive arm has made clear it will not fulfill all the requests for changes. The EU is also consulting member states to identify strategic areas where the US relies on the bloc, as well as potential measures that go beyond tariffs, Bloomberg previously reported. –BLOOMBERG
The Star
5 hours ago
- The Star
Japan to provide defence equipment to Thailand, seven other nations
The Japanese national flag waves at the Bank of Japan building in Tokyo, March 18, 2024. - Photo: Reuters file TOKYO: (Bernama-Kyodo) -- Japan plans to supply defence equipment to Thailand, Tonga and six other nations in the current fiscal year as security aid, a government source said Friday (June 20), in bid to ensure safe sea lanes in the Indo-Pacific region where China is evolving its military posture. According to Kyodo news agency the eight countries -- also including East Timor, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines and Sri Lanka -- are expected to be designated as the recipients of Japan's "official security assistance" (OSA) framework, designed for like-minded partners, for fiscal 2025 from April, the source said. The government is considering providing them Japanese-made drones to help in their natural disaster relief and maritime surveillance missions, according to the source. Japan launched the OSA scheme in April 2023 to help developing countries strengthen their defence capabilities amid security concerns such as the Chinese forces' increasing assertiveness at sea and in the air. In the past two fiscal years through 2024, Bangladesh, Djibouti, Fiji, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mongolia and the Philippines were recipients of the assistance programme. In May, Japan gave the Fiji navy a rescue boat and surveillance equipment, in its first delivery under the OSA framework. In its fiscal 2025 initial budget, Japan earmarked 8.1 billion yen (US$56 million) for OSA assistance, up from 2 billion yen in fiscal 2023 and 5 billion yen in fiscal 2024. - Bernama-Kyodo
