WhatsApp plans to support Apple in its ongoing legal battle with the UK Home Office over user data privacy, the messaging platform's boss Will Cathcart has told the BBC.
The Meta-owned service warned that the case "could set a dangerous precedent" by encouraging other governments to demand access to encrypted communications.
Apple launched legal action after receiving a secret government notice earlier this year demanding backdoor access to encrypted iCloud data worldwide. The UK used its Investigatory Powers Act to require Apple to compromise its Advanced Data Protection feature, which encrypts user photos, notes, messages, and device backups.
Rather than comply, Apple pulled the encryption feature from UK users entirely in February.
"WhatsApp would challenge any law or government request that seeks to weaken the encryption of our services," Cathcart said. The company vowed to continue defending users' "right to a private conversation online."
The encryption controversy has drawn criticism from American politicians, with some calling it a "dangerous attack on US cybersecurity." Tulsi Gabbard, director of US National Intelligence, described the UK's demands as an "egregious violation" of US citizens' privacy.
A UK court rejected the government's attempt to keep details of Apple's legal challenge secret. Judges ruled that conducting hearings entirely in private would be "truly extraordinary."
The Home Office has defended its position, saying the government's "first priority" is keeping people safe while protecting privacy. Officials argue the powers help investigate serious crimes including terrorism and child abuse.
Apple maintains that creating backdoors would inevitably compromise security for all users, making them vulnerable to malicious actors.
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