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FTC warns tech giants against foreign demands to weaken encryption

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2 unique sources, 2 articles

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The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has issued a warning to major U.S. tech companies, cautioning them against complying with foreign government demands that would weaken data security, compromise encryption, or impose censorship. The FTC emphasizes that such actions would violate the FTC Act and expose companies to legal consequences. The warning comes in the context of recent foreign laws, such as the EU's Digital Services Act and the UK's Online Safety and Investigatory Powers Acts, which the FTC argues undermine American users' freedoms. The FTC's letter was sent to companies including Akamai, Alphabet (Google), Amazon, Apple, Cloudflare, Discord, GoDaddy, Meta, Microsoft, Signal, Snap, Slack, and X (Twitter). The FTC's warning follows Apple's recent decision to remove support for iCloud end-to-end encryption in the UK due to government demands for a backdoor, which was later retracted. The FTC has invited the recipients to discuss the issue further on August 28, 2025. The FTC expressed concern that tech companies might simplify compliance with foreign laws by censoring Americans or subjecting them to increased foreign surveillance. The FTC also warned that using weak encryption to comply with foreign government demands can violate the FTC Act if the company advertises secure communications.

Timeline

  1. 23.08.2025 18:21 2 articles · 1mo ago

    FTC warns tech giants against foreign demands to weaken encryption

    The FTC issued a warning to major U.S. tech companies, cautioning them against complying with foreign government demands that would weaken data security, compromise encryption, or impose censorship. The warning comes in the context of recent foreign laws, such as the EU's Digital Services Act and the UK's Online Safety and Investigatory Powers Acts, which the FTC argues undermine American users' freedoms. The FTC's letter was sent to companies including Akamai, Alphabet (Google), Amazon, Apple, Cloudflare, Discord, GoDaddy, Meta, Microsoft, Signal, Snap, Slack, and X (Twitter). The FTC has invited the recipients to a meeting on August 28, 2025, to discuss the issue further. The FTC expressed concern that tech companies might simplify compliance with foreign laws by censoring Americans or subjecting them to increased foreign surveillance. The FTC also warned that using weak encryption to comply with foreign government demands can violate the FTC Act if the company advertises secure communications.

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FTC Chair Urges Tech Companies to Maintain Encryption Standards

Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chair Andrew Ferguson has urged major US tech companies to resist foreign government pressures to weaken encryption standards. Ferguson emphasized the importance of encryption in maintaining public discourse and protecting user privacy. The warning comes amid growing international efforts to mandate backdoor access to encrypted data. Ferguson's letter highlights the potential for foreign laws to lead to censorship and degraded security measures. He warned that complying with these regulations could violate the FTC Act by deceiving consumers about the security of their data.

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UK Government Withdraws Apple Encryption Backdoor Mandate

The U.K. government has withdrawn its mandate requiring Apple to implement a backdoor for accessing encrypted user data. This decision follows pressure from U.S. civil liberties advocates and Apple's previous deactivation of Advanced Data Protection (ADP) for iCloud in the U.K. The U.K. had initially issued a technical capability notice under the Investigatory Powers Act, demanding access to end-to-end encrypted cloud data. The U.S. Director of National Intelligence confirmed the U.K.'s decision, emphasizing the protection of American citizens' civil liberties. Apple had previously stated its commitment to not building backdoors or master keys for its products. The U.K. had aimed to enable blanket access to encrypted data, including for users outside the country. Critics have argued that such access could be exploited by cybercriminals and authoritarian governments. Apple had appealed the legality of the order, and Google and Meta have denied receiving similar requests from the U.K.

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