Google may have faced Apple-like pressure from UK: WydenSenator Ron Wyden has formally requested Tulsi Gabbard , Director of National Intelligence, to initiate an investigation into the UK’s alleged digital spying practices, raising alarms that British surveillance laws may be compromising the private data of millions of Americans. In a letter, Wyden suggested that Google, alongside Apple , may have been secretly pressured to allow ‘backdoor’ access to user data. This raises serious questions about whether Google, like Apple, has faced such secret demands.Apple has resisted the attempts to access encrypted user data , with reports surfacing earlier this year that the UK Home Office had secretly ordered Apple to create a backdoor for encrypted messages. In response, Apple disabled its most secure data storage option for UK users, while maintaining it globally.Wyden had previously written to Gabbard, urging her to demand the UK retract its order. Gabbard had concurred, calling such a backdoor demand “a clear and egregious violation of Americans’ privacy and civil liberties.” Apple is currently challenging the order in a British surveillance court.Wyden’s latest letter suggests that the privacy implications extend far beyond Apple users.

Source: The Times July 30, 2025 04:06 UTC