Apple has initiated a new legal challenge against a UK government demand for access to its customers’ encrypted data, marking a renewed confrontation over data privacy and state surveillance powers. The company filed the complaint last month with the Investigatory Powers Tribunal (IPT), an independent judicial body responsible for investigating claims of unlawful conduct by UK intelligence agencies.

The dispute centers on a second request by the UK government, issued under a “technical capability notice” (TCN), that would compel Apple to provide a means to access encrypted iCloud data belonging to British users. This follows the government’s earlier attempt last year to secure access to both UK and US users’ data, which was subsequently dropped after intense discussions between UK and US authorities.

Unlike the original TCN, the latest order applies only to Apple’s UK-based customers. Apple’s legal action challenges the government’s authority to issue such notices under the Investigatory Powers Act, which obligates technology companies to assist law enforcement and intelligence agencies in criminal investigations, including those related to terrorism and child exploitation. The act can require companies to provide access to customer data even if it is safeguarded by strong encryption.

The IPT issued a notice of the complaint to Privacy International, a human rights group actively opposing secret surveillance measures, which, alongside the civil liberties organization Liberty, has lodged a separate complaint against TCNs. Both groups have called for Apple’s legal challenge to be heard publicly, citing the significant public interest involved. They have also questioned the legality and necessity of the UK government’s use of secretive technical capability notices, as well as the broader legal framework underpinning them.

A case management hearing is scheduled for next month to determine how the parallel complaints will proceed. Privacy International welcomed Apple’s renewed challenge, emphasizing its importance in defending privacy and data security. “While we don’t know the substance of Apple’s claim, if it relates to the previously reported orders aimed at undermining the security of Apple’s iCloud storage, then Apple’s claim, alongside ours and Liberty’s, is crucially important to preserving all our privacy and security,” a spokesperson said.

Neither Apple nor the UK Home Office has commented on the ongoing dispute, citing legal restrictions on discussing TCNs. The original notice requested last year would have potentially allowed UK authorities to circumvent Apple’s advanced encryption protections, which the company says improve security by restricting access even from Apple itself. Apple has warned that creating a “back door” into its encrypted systems could expose user data to breaches and misuse, and that compliance would effectively give the government access to all customer data protected by the company’s encryption technology.