UK drops demand for backdoor into Apple encryption

The article reports that the United Kingdom has agreed to drop its demand for Apple to provide backdoor access to encrypted user data protected by the company's iCloud encryption service. This follows a secret order issued by the UK in January, which had prompted Apple to restrict its Advanced Data Protection (ADP) encrypted iCloud storage offering in the UK. The decision comes after US officials, including the Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, worked with the UK government to ensure that Americans' private data remains protected and their constitutional rights are upheld. The US had examined whether the UK order had violated the bilateral CLOUD Act agreement, which prohibits the two countries from issuing demands for each other's data. The article suggests that the UK had its "back against the wall" and was looking for a way out of the situation, and that any new negotiations between the UK and Apple would not be faithful to the new agreement. The article also notes that it's unclear if Apple will restore access to its ADP service in the UK, and the UK Home Office has refused to comment on the situation.