Apple Warns of UK Surveillance Bill Proposals

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Facts

  • Tech giant Apple has threatened to remove applications such as FaceTime and iMessage from its available UK services if the government applies proposals intended to update the 2016 Investigatory Powers Act (IPA).1
  • Apple has joined Meta in its objection to what's known as the Online Safety Bill, which would allow the UK government to scan encrypted messages.2
  • The updated IPA would also allow the Home Office to demand security features of messaging services be immediately disabled without public notice, replacing the current system of a review and independent oversight process.1
  • Apple has stated that the legislation would be "deeply troubling," adding that it could turn the Home Office into the world's "regulator of security technology" by issuing orders to companies based overseas.3
  • The company warned that, consequently, it would have to "publicly withdraw critical security features" from the UK market, otherwise being forced to "secretly install vulnerabilities" into security technology— a move Apple said it would "never do."4
  • The Online Safety Bill is believed by the UK government to be a viable option to scan for images of potential child abuse online. Apple did attempt to introduce on-device scanning of images to protect children in 2021, but the policy was shut down in December 2022.5

Sources: 1BBC News, 2Seeking Alpha, 3The Telegraph, 4Guardian, and 5AppleInsider.

Narratives

  • Narrative A, as provided by Washington Post. The UK's Online Safety Bill is a mess. While the need for greater regulation to combat online child abuse is widely backed, the potential legislation is the product of the extreme wings of the ruling party that censors and attempts to extend governmental powers beyond its territorial borders.
  • Narrative B, as provided by OnTheWight. Recent public opinion polling shows that the UK overwhelmingly backs calls to strengthen the Online Safety Bill's measures. The British public has a clear message to the government that the online safety of children is paramount, and the influence of Big Tech must be counteracted.