Apple has filed a legal challenge against a U.K. government order demanding a backdoor to its end-to-end encrypted iCloud backups, escalating a battle over digital privacy and government surveillance powers.

The tech giant lodged its case with the Investigatory Powers Tribunal (IPT), which oversees the activities of British intelligence agencies, the Financial Times reported.

The move not only signals Apple’s resistance to British authorities but also suggests the tech giant is unwilling to bow to similar pressures from the U.S. government.

The move marks a rare and significant escalation in the ongoing tug-of-war between tech companies and governments over data access. Apple, a staunch advocate for user privacy, is known for its hardline stance against building encryption backdoors, arguing that any such access could be exploited by bad actors.

Apple is not alone in its fight. Other tech giants, including Google, Meta (formerly Facebook), and Microsoft, have also resisted government demands for access to encrypted communications. The tech industry broadly supports strong encryption as essential to protecting user data against cyber threats.

The U.K. Order: A Backdoor to Privacy?

The U.K. government’s order, issued in January, invoked the country’s sweeping national security surveillance legislation—the Investigatory Powers Act 2016, commonly known as the Snooper’s Charter. The charter gives authorities broad powers to compel technology companies to assist in intercepting communications and accessing encrypted data. The order demanded that Apple create a backdoor to its Advanced Data Protection (ADP) feature, which offers end-to-end encryption on iCloud backups. This feature ensures that only the user, not even Apple, can access the stored data.

In response, Apple pulled the ADP feature from the U.K. market, effectively blocking British users from accessing the enhanced security offering. Simultaneously, the company filed a challenge with the IPT, the secretive court that oversees U.K. intelligence agencies, seeking to overturn the government’s demand.

The U.S. Pressure Mounts on Apple Too

Apple’s decision to challenge the U.K. government may also reflect its stance against similar pressures from the U.S. government. For years, U.S. authorities have lobbied Apple to provide backdoor access to its encrypted devices and services. The FBI has repeatedly criticized Apple’s privacy policies, particularly after the 2015 San Bernardino attack when Apple refused to unlock an iPhone belonging to one of the shooters.

Apple’s CEO Tim Cook argued then, as now, that creating a backdoor for law enforcement would inevitably weaken security for all users, as it could be exploited by bad actors. The FBI eventually found a workaround without Apple’s help, but the incident set the stage for ongoing tensions.

Cook’s White House Visit

Last month, Cook visited the White House, sparking speculation that his meeting with President Donald Trump was partly related to government demands for increased access to encrypted data. While the official agenda of the meeting was not disclosed, it is believed that Cook reiterated Apple’s firm stance on user privacy, despite mounting pressure from national security agencies.

The Trump administration had ramped up efforts to gain access to encrypted communications, citing concerns over terrorism and crime. The U.S. Department of Justice has previously advocated for legislation that would force tech companies to build backdoors into encrypted systems, a move that Apple and other tech firms have vehemently opposed.

Apple’s legal challenge in the U.K. is seen as part of a broader strategy to maintain its global privacy standards. While it has restricted the ADP feature in the U.K., Apple continues to offer strongly encrypted iCloud backups in other markets, signaling a refusal to compromise on privacy universally.

However, the U.K. government contends that this partial compliance is not enough. According to the Financial Times, the British government argues that Apple’s withdrawal of the ADP feature locally fails to address the order’s demand for access to data from users outside the U.K.

The Advanced Data Protection feature is a critical part of Apple’s security ecosystem, providing end-to-end encryption for iCloud backups, including photos, messages, and other personal data. Encryption ensures that data is scrambled in such a way that only the intended recipient can decipher it. Apple itself does not hold the keys to decrypt this data, which is why the U.K. government’s demand essentially amounts to forcing Apple to redesign its system.

If Apple were to comply with the order, it could potentially undermine the security of millions of users by creating a vulnerability that could be exploited by hackers or authoritarian regimes. The company has argued that even a government-sanctioned backdoor would create a “master key” that could be misused.

The outcome of this case could set a precedent not only in the U.K. but also in other jurisdictions where governments are seeking to bypass encryption. Privacy advocates warn that if Apple is forced to comply, it could embolden other nations, including the U.S., to push for similar concessions.

Alexis Ohanian, co-founder of Reddit, has recently expressed interest in acquiring TikTok’s U.S. operations and integrating it with blockchain technology. On March 4, 2025, Ohanian announced via X that he has joined a consortium, known as “The People’s Bid for TikTok,” led by billionaire Frank McCourt under Project Liberty. The goal is to purchase TikTok U.S. and transition it “on-chain” using the Frequency blockchain protocol, which is built on Polkadot’s infrastructure.

This move aims to give TikTok’s 170 million U.S. users greater control over their data and content, aligning with Ohanian’s vision of empowering creators and decentralizing social media. Ohanian has emphasized that “users should own their data” and “creators should own their audience,” suggesting that blockchain integration could make TikTok more transparent and creator driven.

Decentralized social media refers to platforms built on distributed technologies, like blockchain or peer-to-peer networks, where control isn’t concentrated in a single entity (e.g., a corporation like Meta or X). Instead, data, governance, and operations are spread across a network of users, aiming to enhance privacy, user ownership, and resistance to censorship. The idea ties into Alexis Ohanian’s recent proposal to put TikTok on the Frequency blockchain, but it’s part of a broader movement.

The Frequency protocol is intended to serve as the backbone of this redesigned platform, prioritizing privacy, security, and digital independence. This isn’t Ohanian’s first venture into blockchain; Reddit previously experimented with Ethereum-based “Community Points” and Polygon-based NFT avatars, though some of these initiatives were scaled back or discontinued.

Unlike centralized platforms where a company stores your data on its servers, decentralized social media uses protocols where: Data Ownership: Users control their content and personal info, often stored on distributed ledgers or personal nodes, not corporate databases. Interactions happen directly between users via the network, reducing reliance on a central authority. Many platforms use cryptocurrencies or tokens to reward creators, incentivize moderation, or fund development (e.g., Steemit with STEEM).

A federated network of independent servers (instances) where users can host their own communities, interoperating via the ActivityPub protocol. It’s not blockchain-based but decentralized in structure. Ohanian’s pitch to move TikTok to Frequency (a Polkadot-based chain) fits this trend. Frequency is designed for high-throughput social data, claiming to handle large-scale interactions while keeping things decentralized. The idea is to let TikTok’s 170 million U.S. users own their digital identities and content, potentially using tokens or NFTs to represent value. It’s ambitious—TikTok’s centralized infrastructure is a speed demon; porting it to blockchain would require massive reengineering.

The bid comes amid ongoing pressure from the U.S. government on TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to divest its U.S. operations due to national security concerns. While the proposal is ambitious, challenges remain, including the technical feasibility of adapting TikTok’s massive platform to blockchain infrastructure and navigating regulatory hurdles. Ohanian’s involvement reflects his long-standing interest in decentralized digital ecosystems, but whether this vision will come to fruition is still uncertain as the acquisition process is in its early stages, competing with other potential buyers like Microsoft and Oracle.

Decentralized social media has been hyped for years (remember Diaspora?), but adoption lags. Mastodon has about 1.5 million monthly active users, a fraction of X’s 400 million or TikTok’s 1 billion+. Tech hurdles, like blockchain’s transaction costs and latency, plus user inertia, keep centralized giants dominant. Still, with figures like Ohanian pushing it, and regulatory pressure on apps like TikTok, the concept’s getting fresh momentum. Whether it’s practical or just Web3 buzz remains the big question.