Questions about a secret order from the UK ordering Apple to build a backdoor into iCloud

The Washington Post reported that the UK government issued a secret order compelling Apple to build a backdoor into iCloud. This order would grant the UK government with access to all data in iCloud, worldwide, even data that Apple promises is end to end encrypted. The issue can be appealed, in a secret court to which no one else seems to have access to, but Apple can't delay the implementation during the appeal. Furthermore, Apple is barred from talking about the order, or disclosing that it's been implemented.

Apple says: “End-to-end encrypted data can be decrypted only on your trusted devices where you’re signed in to your Apple Account. No one else can access your end-to-end encrypted data — not even Apple — and this data remains secure even in the case of a data breach in the cloud. If you lose access to your account, only you can recover this data”. They lay this out in more technical documents and it's very clear that there's no backdoor unless they're lying. With a backdoor, this would be a lie.

Journalists are speculating Apple will just remove the security features from for UK users. But that would blatantly not meet the demands of the order, which requires worldwide access.

My questions, feel free just to comment on anything that interests you:

  • How TF can we run democracies if we have secret courts and laws that aren't even allowed to be disclosed and challenged?

  • Could a consumer potentially sue Apple if they discovered that Apple was lying about the encryption, even if they were forced to lie about it by a government?

  • Could Apple remove references about end to end encryption from their website, or would that constitute disclosure that the security was weakened?

  • What's to stop the UK from just backing down on this order, but then just issuing secret order after secret order until people are preoccupied with other things and get it to stick?

  • What does Apple have to lose if they just say "f you, we're not doing it and we're disclosing this anyway?" The article from the Washington Post claims it's a criminal offence to do so, but like would they really extradite Apple executives to the UK and arrest them or is there something else the government could do?

  • What do you think is next, in terms of timeline or potential action?