Google states it has not received UK request to weaken encryption

Google has confirmed it has not received a U.K. government order to create a backdoor in its encrypted services, offering rare public clarity amid broader scrutiny of surveillance demands on tech companies.

Alphabet, Google, AI, data centres, investment

Google has confirmed it has not received a request from the UK government to create a backdoor in its encrypted services. The clarification comes amid ongoing scrutiny of surveillance legislation and its implications for tech companies offering end-to-end encrypted services.

Reports indicate that the UK government may be reconsidering an earlier request for Apple to enable access to user data through a technical backdoor, which is a move that prompted strong opposition from the US government. In response to these developments, US Senator Ron Wyden has sought to clarify whether similar requests were made to other major technology companies.

While Google initially declined to respond to inquiries from Senator Wyden’s office, the company had not received a technical capabilities notice—an official order under UK law that could require companies to enable access to encrypted data.

Senator Wyden, who serves on the Senate Intelligence Committee, addressed the matter in a letter to Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. The letter urged the US intelligence community to assess the potential national security implications of the UK’s surveillance laws and any undisclosed requests to US companies.

Meta, which offers encrypted messaging through WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, also stated in a 17 March communication to Wyden’s office that it had ‘not received an order to backdoor our encrypted services, like that reported about Apple.’

While companies operating in the UK may be restricted from disclosing certain surveillance orders under law, confirmations such as Google’s provide rare public insight into the current landscape of international encryption policy and cooperation.

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