The UK's demand for an encryption backdoor in iCloud, and Apple's response, have repercussions that go far beyond national borders, threatening user privacy and security worldwide.

In an unprecedented step, Apple caved to a reported U.K. government’s demand to prevent users from using end-to-end encryption in iCloud.

The company said it was "gravely disappointed" to no longer be able to offer Advanced Data Protection to iPhone users in the UK.

Apple is scrapping its most advanced security encryption feature for cloud data in Britain, the company said on Friday, an unprecedented response to government demands for access to user data.

Apple has withdrawn its Advanced Data Protection iCloud feature from the United Kingdom following government demands for backdoor access to

Security officials argue that encryption hinders criminal investigations, while tech firms defend it as essential to user privacy.

Apple's decision to withdraw iCloud end-to-end encryption in the United Kingdom has privacy and security advocates worried that the British government could scan

Apple is known for its strict data protection practices, but the company has been forced to downgrade its security in the UK. Any UK users who have not already enabled its Advanced Data Protection (ADP) encryption will now lose the opportunity to do so.