The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) quietly removed crucial cybersecurity advice from its official guidance after the Home Office sought to pressure Apple into creating a surveillance backdoor for end-to-end encrypted communications.
The deleted recommendation had specifically advised legal professionals to “turn on encryption” and enable Advanced Data Protection for iCloud on iOS devices, a move designed to bolster data security. The removal occurred without any public explanation, raising concerns about government interference in cybersecurity policy.
Notably, the NCSC had originally issued this guidance at the same time that the Labour government was actively pressuring Apple to introduce a backdoor to that very same encryption.
This contradiction highlights the internal tensions within the UK government — on one hand, cybersecurity officials were promoting best practices for data protection, while on the other, policymakers were attempting to undermine the security measures they encouraged. The timing of this change raises further concerns about political influence over cybersecurity recommendations.
The Home Office has been pushing for backdoor access to encrypted services, arguing that such measures are necessary for law enforcement and national security.
However, privacy advocates and tech companies, including Apple, have repeatedly warned that weakening encryption would create vulnerabilities that could be exploited by malicious actors, including hackers and foreign governments.
The censorship of the NCSC guidance is part of a broader tension between government surveillance ambitions and the fundamental need for strong cybersecurity. By quietly excising its own advice to turn on encryption, the NCSC appears to have bowed to political pressure at the expense of digital security.