U.S. Looking Into UK's 'Secret' Order To Apple

After she was sworn in as the Director of National Intelligence last 12 February, Tulsi Gabbard said that she's already received a warning from congressmen about the safety of Americans' data.

A letter from Ron Wyden, a Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, and Andy Biggs, a Republican on the House Judiciary committee, urged Gabbard to demand the UK government retract an order that would grant them access to the cloud content of any Apple user in the world.

The Washington Post was the first to report on the order, which it said was issued in January, and which would allow the British government to view encrypted material. Wyden and Biggs asked Gabbard to push back on the "secret order."

If Apple were to build a backdoor for the UK, the congressmen said, it would undermine Americans' right to privacy, "expose them to espionage by China, Russia, and other adversaries," and threaten government agencies that use Apple products. The tech giant is reportedly not allowed to acknowledge the order.

"The company faces criminal penalties that prevent it from even confirming to the US Congress the accuracy of these press reports," the letter said.

Wyden and Biggs told Gabbard to give the UK an ultimatum: "Back down from this dangerous attack on US cybersecurity, or face serious consequences."

They also asked her office to answer three questions about the Trump administration's awareness of the order and its understanding of the 2018 CLOUD Act, which allows the US to enter bilateral agreements with foreign allies to request data information from companies without going through diplomatic channels.

Apple CEO Tim Cook has been a big proponent of data encryption on iOS devices. The tech giant pushed back against the US government's request for a backdoor into iPhone users' personal information.

After a 2015 terrorist attack in San Bernardino, Apple was asked by the FBI to provide access to the shooter's data. Cook said that Apple complied with the request, but he stood firmly against building a backdoor to the iPhone.