Compared to China: Trump criticizes Britain's backdoor arrangement to Apple

US President Donald Trump sharply criticized the British government's order that Apple should install a back door into the iCloud. This “knows China,” said Trump in an interview with the British political magazine The Spectator. He told the British Prime Minister Keir Stamer that he could “not” do that.

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According to media reports, Apple received a secret instruction according to the controversial investigatory Powers Act (IPA) in early February. This was not officially confirmed, since everyone involved also has to maintain it by law because of the disclosure. The British government authorizes the spy law to make a veto against technical protective measures in secret, such as improved encryption – and with global effects. This is exactly what Apple is said to have met with its Advanced Data Protection (ADP).

Violation of the cloud act?

At the end of February, Apple reacted with the announcement to switch off the end-to-end encryption for the iCloud in Great Britain in order to escape the obligation to install a backdoor. Even if the company did not provide a reason for this, it was indirectly clearly read out that the media reports apply. Apple had warned of such a danger during the legislative procedure.

The fact that Great Britain's procedure also met with little love in political circles of the United States was emerging in parallel to Apple's encryption withdrawal in Great Britain. Tulsi Gabard, Director of National Intelligence (DNI) in the Trump government, has lawyers checked whether Londons could be directed against existing agreements between the United States and Great Britain-a first sighting showed that this could apply to the cloud act agreement, according to which Great Britain should not request any data from US citizens.

Addressed at the meeting in the White House

The reservations now receive further weight from the US President himself. He recently had the British premier. Among other things, it was about Ukraine and negotiations on a bilateral trade agreement. In the course of this meeting, he spoke to the British claim towards Apple, Trump said in an interview with the Spectator magazine. The publication, which was once published by former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, is considered to be influential in conservative British circles.