WhatsApp fights Yvette Cooper's ‘dangerous' attempt to break encryption
Mark Zuckerberg's WhatsApp has challenged a 'dangerous' attempt by the Home Office to secretly force Apple to build a backdoor in its encryption technology.
The private messaging app said it had intervened in a case at the Investigatory Powers Tribunal, submitting evidence criticising an order by Yvette Cooper's department that requires Apple to break an 'advanced data protection' feature that encrypts iPhone back-ups.
Will Cathcart, the head of Meta-owned WhatsApp, said: 'Liberal democracies should want the best security for their citizens. Instead, the UK is doing the opposite through a secret order.
'This case could set a dangerous precedent and embolden nations to try to break the encryption that protects people's private communication.'
Apple is challenging the 'technical capability notice' from the Home Office, issued in January, that ordered it to secretly install a backdoor into the encryption feature it introduced in 2022.
The iPhone-maker was legally barred from confirming the existence of the order, which emerged in US media reports. Disclosing the existence of the demand is illegal under UK surveillance laws.
However, in February, Apple said it would be withdrawing the feature in the UK and said it would 'never build a backdoor or master key to any of our products or services and we never will'.
Ms Cooper's order has prompted criticism from the White House and senior Republicans.
Donald Trump described the demand as 'something that you hear about with China'. Tulsi Gabbard, the US national intelligence director, called it 'egregious'.
WhatsApp said it would be arguing that the case should be heard in public.
Mr Cathcart said: 'WhatsApp would challenge any law or government request that seeks to weaken the encryption of our services and will continue to stand up for people's right to a private conversation online.'
In April, the Investigatory Powers Tribunal, a secret court that hears cases about intelligence matters, ruled against the Home Secretary's push for the case to be heard in total secrecy. This would have meant that even the existence of the dispute could not be publicised.
The Home Office argued that any coverage of the matter could be 'damaging to national security'. However, after an intervention by media groups, including The Telegraph, privacy advocates and a group of US politicians, Lord Justice Singh, the president of the tribunal, and Mr Justice Johnson dismissed the effort to keep even the 'bare details' of the case private.
The court said it was possible that some of the future developments in the case could be made public.
Britain's security services and the Home Office have long sparred with the tech industry, warning that the rise of heavily encrypted messaging and digital storage makes it harder to stop terrorism and catch child abusers.
Last week, US politicians attacked Britain's demands in a hearing in Congress. Andy Biggs, a Republican House of Representatives member, said the Home Office's demand 'threatens the privacy and security rights, not only of those living in the UK, but of Apple users all over the world'. He added that the UK was 'attacking America's data security and privacy'.
The Home Office was contacted for comment.
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