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The United Kingdom has backed away from a secret order that would have forced Apple to build a backdoor into its iCloud encryption service, according to U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard.

In a post on X, Gabbard said she had worked with the White House to ensure “Americans’ private data remains private and our Constitutional rights and civil liberties are protected.” The announcement confirms that the UK has dropped its mandate for Apple to create a tool that would have given British authorities access to encrypted data, a move Washington feared would compromise the privacy of U.S. citizens.

The Secret Order That Sparked a Showdown

The dispute began in January, when the UK issued a classified order demanding Apple weaken its Advanced Data Protection (ADP) feature, which secures iCloud backups with end-to-end encryption. Apple responded by suspending new sign-ups for ADP in the UK and successfully challenged the order in court, winning the right to publicly disclose the case in April.

The controversy quickly crossed borders. Under the CLOUD Act, neither the U.S. nor UK can compel the other to provide direct access to their citizens’ data. American officials argued that the UK’s order risked violating the agreement. Reports surfaced last month that Britain was preparing to retreat, with one official admitting the government “had its back against the wall.”

Security Experts Say the Stakes Were Global

Nic Adams, co-founder and CEO of 0rcus, argues the reversal was less about Apple’s courtroom strategy and more about geopolitical pressure. “U.S. officials were concerned that forcing a backdoor in the UK would create a global precedent, ultimately making it harder to argue against similar demands from China, Russia, and other adversaries,” he said.

Adams emphasized that backdoors introduce risks far beyond their intended scope. “Any mandated access point would instantly become a new vulnerability. Once engineered, the tool can be cloned, stolen, or leaked, and would undermine every user worldwide. Simply put, there is no such thing as a backdoor for exclusively good actors.”

He added that the industry’s position has not changed: “Introducing systemic weaknesses into encryption is a short-term political gain with long-term strategic costs because it makes citizens, businesses, and even governments less secure.”

What Comes Next for Apple and the UK

With the order withdrawn, questions remain over whether Apple will reinstate ADP sign-ups in Britain. The company has so far declined to comment. The UK Home Office has also refused to clarify whether new negotiations with Apple are underway or if this marks a permanent retreat from backdoor demands.

For now, the reversal represents a rare public win for both Apple and privacy advocates. It also underscores how international pressure can shape surveillance policy, particularly when the outcome could set global norms for digital privacy.