The U.K. government is apparently changing its tune after the U.S. government gave them a piece of their mind about demanding Apple to build a secret backdoor for accessing customer data worldwide. But now, the big question is: Did Google also get a similar secret request from the U.K. government?
Google dodged the question at first, but later confirmed to TechCrunch that they did not receive any backdoor demands from the U.K., marking a first for the tech giant.
Secret court orders, like the one the U.K. Home Office tried to get against Apple earlier this year, are a sticky situation. Apple’s end-to-end encryption means only customers can access their data, not even Apple. Critics slammed the order against Apple as too extreme, with implications for user privacy worldwide. Apple is fighting back against the order.
In a letter to U.S. intelligence official Tulsi Gabbard, Senator Ron Wyden revealed that at least one tech giant, Meta, confirmed they have not received any backdoor orders like Apple. Google, on the other hand, refused to say whether they got a similar order from the U.K., citing legal restrictions.
Google’s spokesperson made it clear that they do not build any backdoors to bypass end-to-end encryption in their products. And when pressed, they confirmed they have not received any U.K. surveillance orders.
Wyden wants Gabbard to assess the national security risks posed by the U.K.’s surveillance laws and their secret demands on U.S. companies. Stay tuned for more updates!
