- Google has just confirmed that it has not received any official request from the British Government to weaken encryption or give backdoor access to user data
- Earlier this year, Apple was asked to provide an encryption back door in its iCloud’s advanced data protection feature
- This marks a growing gap in how tech giants are affected by Britain’s controversial investigative powers and its global consequences for privacy
Google has just admitted that the British government has not requested access to end-to-end encrypted user data.
Meanwhile, Apple has been hit by a technical capacity message (TCN) under the 2016 Investigatory Powers Act (IPA), forcing it to shoot its iCloud Advanced Data Protection function in the UK as a result.
Backlash that followed Britain’s request for access to end-to-end encrypted data from Apple repeated through the rest of the world. It now turns out that the request may have been more targeted than it first seemed, with Google apparently immune to it for now.
“We have not received a notice of technical capacity”
In February this year, the British authorities requested that Apple break its end-to-end encryption policy in the Advanced Data Protection (ADP) feature. ADP is not by default, but when enabled, it adds an additional layer of security. Not even Apple can access the data that is encrypted in this way; It’s completely private.
Not surprisingly, the order was not met with a warm reception. Mounting the control of Britain’s Law on Investigation Powers (IPA) led to US senators to investigate whether other companies have also received similar requests.
According to Techcrunch, Google refused to answer questions about any involvement from the British government when asked by US Senator Roy Wyden. Companies subject to state surveillance orders are unable to disclose them under British law.
However, Wyden revealed that at least one technology giant confirmed that it has not received such a message. It turned out to be Meta that told Wyden’s office back in March that it had not been served an order to back its encryption services.
Although Google remained silent, it seems to have broken this promise of silence in a statement to Techcrunch. Karl Ryan, Google Speaker, said, “We have not received a notice of technical capacity.”
It is such a good confirmation as we come in this situation. If Google had received such a message, it would mean that the British government was investigating whether a back door could be added to its end-to-end encryption or not.
Ryan also said to Techcrunch: “We’ve never built any mechanism or ‘back door’ to bypass end-to-end encryption in our products. If we say a product is end-to-end encrypted, it is.”
The British government can still return
When Apple was asked to build a back door in its ADP service, Apple instead chose to turn off the features for users in the UK and leave them without access to further data protection.
Although using one of the best VPN services can help increase Brits’ online privacy, it will certainly not replace iCloud’s end-to-end encryption protection that users in other countries are able to take advantage of.
The order was widely criticized around the world where US lawmakers warned against “systemic vulnerabilities.” Meanwhile, Apple decided to challenge the request in court.
Recently, two senior British officials revealed that the British government may have to give up pursuing encryption back doors due to pushback from the US government. “They don’t want us to mess with their tech companies,” they said.
No matter where this case ultimately leads, the fact that Apple was involved, but Google went away unscathed, an interesting development. Google’s hands-off status may offer insurance that Britain’s encryption requirements are not as celebrating as they first appeared up-in the least yet.
