UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – The British PM Keir Starmer faced backlash from Elon Musk over the government’s attempt to access Apple users’ encrypted data, calling it a “privacy nightmare.”
The tech billionaire has renewed his dispute with Sir Keir by slamming the UK government’s efforts to gain Apple users’ private data.
What did Elon Musk say about the British government’s attempt to access Apple users’ data?
Elon Musk, a close ally of newly elected American President Donald Trump, condemned the decision as “crazy” and shared a social media post describing it as a “global privacy nightmare.”
Sayer Ji, chairman of Green Media, stated on X that the British government instructed Apple to dismantle encryption for 2 billion users.
He tweeted, “A global privacy nightmare is unfolding. The UK government secretly ordered Apple to backdoor encrypted iCloud storage worldwide… This affects 2 BILLION USERS”.
In response, Mr Musk retweeted this above post with the caption,
“This is crazy.”
Is the UK government forcing Apple to weaken encryption and grant access to user data?
Last week, the government reportedly ordered Apple to grant access to encrypted user data, sparking fear over potential privacy violations.
As reported by The Independent, the Home Office issued an order last month under the Investigatory Powers Act 2016, requiring companies to help in criminal investigations.
When asked about this move, the Home Office declined to confirm or deny the existence of the alleged order.
The Home Office stated,
“We do not comment on operational matters, including for example confirming or denying the existence of any such notices.”
The order granting access to Apple users’ data has raised concerns, as authorities demanded broad access instead of targeting specific accounts.
Different campaigners have raised their voices against this act of requesting access. Rebecca Vincent of Big Brother Watch criticized the order, stating that forcing Apple to compromise encryption for millions would be an unprecedented assault on privacy rights with no place in a democratic society.
What did Apple say about users’ data privacy?
Apple has maintained its firm stance on user privacy, assuring that its current security system prevents anyone, including the company itself, from accessing user private data.
Technology companies have strongly defended users’ privacy rights, warning that allowing governments access to user data would leave systems vulnerable to hackers and authoritarian regimes.
Law enforcement institutions worldwide have urged for expanded access to encrypted messaging, arguing that such platforms provide a safe zone to criminals and child abusers to operate undetected.
Elon Musk’s influence in British politics
For months, the tech mogul has been actively involved in British politics, repeatedly criticizing the Labour government. Last month, he reignited the debate over grooming gangs in the UK, condemning the Labour leader and the safeguarding minister for rejecting a public inquiry into the Oldham child abuse case. At one point, he even called on the King to intervene and dissolve Parliament.
Elon Musk has previously maintained good relations with Nigel Farage, with the two meeting last December. Rumors later surfaced that Musk was considering a $100 million donation to support the Reform UK party financially. However, the party’s leader later dismissed these claims. Despite this, Farage has described Musk as ‘influential’ for his party in the upcoming general elections.
How many Apple users are there in the UK?
According to December 2024 data, Apple’s iOS holds around 47.65% of the mobile operating system market share in Britain. Given the UK’s population of around 67 million, this suggests there are approximately 31.8 million iPhone users in the country.