Google: UK Government Has Not Requested Encryption Backdoor

U.K. Backdoor Demands and Tech Company Responses

Reports indicate the United Kingdom government is retracting its initial request for Apple to create a concealed backdoor. This backdoor would have granted U.K. authorities access to customer data globally, following strong opposition from the U.S. government. However, a U.S. senator is now seeking clarification regarding whether other technology companies, including Google, have also been subjected to similar secret demands from the U.K.

Google's Confirmation

Initially, Google declined to respond to the senator’s inquiries. Subsequently, the company informed TechCrunch that it has not received a request for a backdoor. This marks the first instance of Google publicly confirming its exemption from a comparable U.K. order.

The Initial Demand from the U.K. Home Office

Earlier this year, The Washington Post revealed that the U.K.’s Home Office pursued a secret court order. This order, submitted to the U.K.’s surveillance court, aimed to compel Apple to provide access to end-to-end encrypted cloud data. This data encompassed information stored by any customer worldwide, including backups from iPhones and iPads.

Apple employs encryption methods that ensure only customers, not Apple itself, can access their data stored on its servers. This security feature was the core of the U.K. government's request.

Legal Restrictions and Criticism

U.K. legislation prevents tech companies, like Apple, subject to secret surveillance court orders from disclosing details about the order. This includes confirming its very existence. Despite these restrictions, details of the demand became public earlier in the year.

The proposed order against Apple was widely criticized as “draconian,” with concerns raised about its potential global impact on user privacy. Apple has formally appealed the order’s legality.

Senator Wyden's Inquiry

In a recent letter to U.S. intelligence official Tulsi Gabbard, Senator Ron Wyden, a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, noted the legal constraints preventing companies from confirming receipt of a U.K. order. He also highlighted that at least one tech giant has confirmed it has not received such a request.

Meta's Statement

Meta, utilizing end-to-end encryption for messages on WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, informed Wyden’s office on March 17th that it had “not received an order to backdoor our encrypted services,” similar to the reported request made to Apple.

Google's Limited Response

Google refrained from directly answering Wyden’s office regarding whether it had received a U.K. government order for access to encrypted data, such as Android backups. The company stated that if it had received a technical capabilities notice, it would be legally prohibited from disclosing this fact, according to Wyden.

Google's Assurance on Encryption

Google spokesperson Karl Ryan stated to TechCrunch: “We have never built any mechanism or ‘backdoor’ to circumvent end-to-end encryption in our products. If we state a product is end-to-end encrypted, it remains so.”

When directly questioned by TechCrunch, Ryan confirmed: “We haven’t received a technical capabilities notice,” referencing any U.K. surveillance order.

Call for Transparency

Wyden’s letter, initially reported by The Washington Post and shared with TechCrunch, urges Gabbard to publicly release its “assessment of the national security risks posed by the U.K.’s surveillance laws and its reported secret demands of U.S. companies.”

This report has been updated to include further comments from Google, provided in response to a TechCrunch inquiry.