WhatsApp is backing Apple in a high-stakes legal battle against the UK Home Office over access to encrypted user data, warning the case could undermine global privacy protections and set a troubling international precedent.
Will Cathcart, head of the Meta-owned messaging service, confirmed WhatsApp has applied to submit evidence in support of Apple’s effort to overturn a Technical Capability Notice (TCN) — a secretive government request demanding access to encrypted content on Apple’s global platforms. The UK government issued the notice earlier this year, citing national security interests.
Cathcart stated, “WhatsApp would challenge any law or request that weakens our encryption, and we will always defend people’s right to private, secure communication online.” He added that the case could “embolden other nations” to erode encryption standards, posing risks beyond the UK.
The legal case has pitted tech giants against the UK government in a major privacy vs. national security showdown. At its core is Apple’s Advanced Data Protection (ADP), which applies end-to-end encryption (E2EE) to iCloud content such as photos and notes — making the data inaccessible even to Apple.
The Home Office has not commented directly on the Apple case but insists its priority is protecting the public from serious crimes like terrorism and child abuse, while maintaining privacy safeguards.
Apple initially disabled ADP in the UK and then escalated the matter to the courts, triggering widespread backlash from civil liberties groups and US officials. Some American lawmakers called it a “dangerous attack on US cybersecurity,” with implications for transatlantic intelligence sharing.
WhatsApp’s intervention has been welcomed by campaigners. Jim Killock of the Open Rights Group said, “This shows the growing concern about the UK’s direction on digital privacy. The court must hear from as many voices as possible.”
The government’s request was reportedly issued in secret under TCN laws, which allow for classified demands that are rarely made public. However, in April, a UK judge ruled that elements of the case should be disclosed, stating that completely secret hearings would be “extraordinary and unacceptable.”
The UK government maintains it only seeks access in rare, proportionate cases involving the most serious crimes, and that oversight mechanisms remain in place.
Still, tech companies have consistently refused to create “backdoors” to encrypted systems, arguing such tools could inevitably be exploited by hackers and hostile actors. In 2023, WhatsApp made clear it would rather be blocked in a country than weaken its E2EE protocols.
