Lawmaker looks to strengthen security of U.S. communications following UK’s Apple backdoor order

Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., released a discussion draft of a measure to reform the CLOUD Act after the UK ordered Apple to build a backdoor into encrypted iCloud backups.

A Democrat senator is looking to propose legislation to better safeguard U.S. citizens’ digital communications, following revelations that the United Kingdom directed Apple to give its domestic law enforcement community the ability to circumvent the encryption of the consumer electronics giant’s iCloud backup service.

Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., released a discussion draft of his measure on Friday, which seeks to reform the Clarifying Lawful Overseas Use of Data — or CLOUD — Act. 

The 2018 law was designed to adapt to the advent of cloud computing technologies, after the FBI said it had issues with legal access requests for information stored in U.S. communications firms’ overseas servers. The CLOUD Act, as is, directs relevant American companies to adhere to warrants ...