Elon Musk has once again taken aim at UK Labour leader Keir Starmer, criticizing the government’s controversial demand for access to encrypted Apple user data. Musk slammed the move as “crazy” and amplified concerns that it could spark a “global privacy nightmare.”
Musk’s latest comments come as part of his ongoing clashes with the British government. Last month, he ignited political turmoil by attacking officials over their handling of child rape gangs and the government-backed censorship of those criticizing its failures.
This time, Musk retweeted a post warning about the implications of the UK government’s order to Apple, which stated: “A global privacy nightmare is unfolding. The UK government secretly ordered Apple to backdoor encrypted iCloud storage worldwide… This affects 2 BILLION USERS.” He added his own response: “This is crazy.”
The controversy escalated on Friday when it was revealed that the UK had ordered Apple to grant authorities access to encrypted user files. Critics immediately condemned the move as an “unprecedented attack” on personal privacy.
The demand was made under the Investigatory Powers Act 2016, a law that allows the government to compel companies to assist in gathering evidence. However, what makes this order especially contentious is that it seeks broad, unrestricted access to encrypted data rather than requesting access to a specific account.
Of course, the Home Office declined to confirm or deny the existence of the order.
Apple, which has long positioned itself as a champion of privacy, insists that its encryption ensures no one — not even the company — can access users’ private files. In response to growing pressure from governments worldwide, Apple has stood firm against weakening encryption, warning that any “backdoor” could be exploited by hackers or authoritarian regimes.
Authorities, however, argue that stronger surveillance powers are necessary, citing concerns that criminals, terrorists, and child abusers exploit encryption to evade law enforcement.
Rebecca Vincent of the civil liberties group Big Brother Watch condemned the government’s actions, saying that forcing Apple to create a backdoor “that would effectively break encryption for millions of users – (would be) an unprecedented attack on privacy rights that has no place in any democracy.”
