RGS Statement on UK Only Technical Capability Notices (TCNs)

WASHINGTON – The Reform Government Surveillance coalition issued the following statement regarding coverage by the Financial Times concerning a technical capability notice submitted by the United Kingdom government on Apple.

“Reform Government Surveillance (RGS) is deeply concerned by recent reporting from the Financial Times that the United Kingdom has issued another order to Apple to implement a backdoor into its end-to-end encrypted services to access British users’ data. When one country requires technology companies to engineer even geographically-limited vulnerabilities into their encrypted products and services, these vulnerabilities affect their platforms globally, undermining the security and privacy of Americans and everyone else who uses the affected services. In other words, building a backdoor for users in one country builds a backdoor everywhere, notwithstanding any effort by the country to limit the scope of those backdoors to its borders.

Strong encryption is an essential tool for cybersecurity and national security services and protects the sensitive data of individuals, businesses, and governments. Governments should avoid any action that would require companies to create any security vulnerabilities in their products and services.”