Rand Paul investigates U.K. data requests for Americans

Senator Rand Paul is asking the U.S. government for information about a recent demand from the United Kingdom. Last month, the U.K. Home Secretary reportedly requested access to data from all Apple users around the world. In response, Apple chose to protect the data of its U.K. users rather than comply with the order. In a letter to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, Paul expressed concern about this request. He highlighted that it raises important questions about the security of U.S. user data, especially under the CLOUD Act, which allows tech companies to share data with the government even when it's stored outside the U.S. Paul mentioned that the U.K. demand appears to be part of a trend where law enforcement seeks ways to access private user data in the name of national security. He is requesting any unredacted orders from the U.K. related to U.S. companies since August 2024. He is also interested in records of any agreements that may keep these orders secret. The U.K. has laws that let it request user information and prevent companies from revealing such requests. This has concerned some lawmakers in the U.S., who are worried about government surveillance and its impact on free speech. They urged the U.K. tribunal to make such orders more transparent. Both Apple and Google have claimed they cannot disclose whether they received requests under U.K. law, raising further concerns about the implications of such demands on privacy and transparency.