DOJ Caught in a Lie: How The Biden Administration Helped the UK Undermine Encryption

By the time the Justice Department assured Congress that everything was peachy between the US and the UK on digital privacy, officials already knew that British authorities were sharpening their knives for Apple’s encryption. It was a classic case of “nothing to see here” while the building was very much on fire.

Sources—who wisely opted for anonymity, probably to avoid being crushed under a bureaucratic steamroller—confirm that the DOJ was well aware that the Brits were gearing up to demand Apple compromise its own encryption.

More: UK’s iCloud Encryption Crackdown Explained: Your Questions Answered on Apple’s Decision and How it Affects You

Fast-forward to this week, and the script flipped. On Tuesday, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard let the UK have it, blasting its demand as an “egregious” violation of American rights. That was the first public sign that something was deeply wrong with the DOJ’s earlier assurances. A day later, lawmakers decided they’d had enough and called for a real investigation into what the Justice Department knew—and when.

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