Tulsi Gabbard had barely been sworn in as the U.S. director of national intelligence before a new potential intelligence threat affecting U.S. consumers landed in her lap
Two U.S. lawmakers, one a Democrat and the other a Republican, have sent Gabbard a letter warning that the United Kingdom has reportedly ordered Apple to provide a back door to iPhone users’ encrypted data.
The letter, obtained by various U.S. media outlets, pointed to reports in UK media that the country’s home secretary secretly directed the tech giant to water down the security of its iCloud backup service to give the British government access.
"Apple is reportedly gagged from acknowledging that it received such an order, and the company faces criminal penalties that prevent it from even confirming to the U.S. Congress the accuracy of these press reports," said the letter, signed by Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.).
The UK government has engaged in crackdowns on social media, similar to the U.S. crackdown during the pandemic, seeking to limit commentary opposing various government policies. Last year, London's metropolitan police chief warned that not only could it charge British residents for posts made in the wake of a mass stabbing at a Taylor Swift concert, but could also extradite and charge U.S. residents as well.
The two lawmakers, whose committee assignments include intelligence and crime, asked the new DNI to "act decisively to protect the security of Americans’ communications from dangerous, shortsighted efforts by the United Kingdom that will undermine Americans’ privacy rights and expose them to espionage by China, Russia and other adversaries."