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"Apple has launched a new legal challenge against the UK’s latest attempt to create a “backdoor” to access encrypted customer data, a year after the Home Office agreed to drop a previous order after a row with Washington. The iPhone maker last month launched a new legal complaint at the Investigatory Powers Tribunal over the UK government’s controversial demand that Apple allow it access to encrypted cloud backups of data belonging to British users, according to an order issued by the court. The UK retreated from its original demand for a backdoor that allowed access to data from UK and US customers last year, ending a diplomatic battle between London and Washington. But UK authorities issued a new “technical capability notice” to Apple that did not apply to American users in the second half of last year, the FT reported in October. TCNs are issued under the UK Investigatory Powers Act, which the government maintains is needed by law enforcement to investigate terrorism and child sexual abuse. They can force companies to provide the UK security services with access to customer data, even if such information is protected by secure encryption. The court sent an order giving notice of the new Apple complaint to Privacy International, the human rights group that, alongside fellow campaigner Liberty, had previously launched a separate complaint against TCNs at the IPT. Their case had been due to be heard in December. Apple has consistently argued any such backdoor would make its systems less secure for all its customers. The company did not respond to a request for comment. Both Apple and the Home Office are legally restricted from discussing TCNs. The Home Office has previously argued that the Investigatory Powers Act, under which such orders are issued, contains robust safeguards and is only used when absolutely necessary, and that privacy and security are not “at odds” in such cases." https://archive.is/F8Jb0#selection-1465.0-1468.0