Vance negotiates deal protecting Apple data from UK backdoor demands

Vice President JD Vance – who eviscerated European leaders earlier this year for allegedly retreating on free speech, essentially threatening fundamental democratic values – recently played a commanding role in convincing the United Kingdom to drop its demands that Apple provide the British government a “backdoor” to personal user data, Fox News Digital has learned. 

A U.S. official told Fox News Digital that Vance “was in charge and was personally involved in negotiating a deal, including having direct conversations with the British government.” 

Working with U.K. partners, the vice president “negotiated a mutually beneficial understanding” that the British government “will withdraw the current backdoor order to Apple,” the U.S. official said, adding that the “agreement between our two governments maintains each country’s sovereignty while ensuring close cooperation on data sharing.” 

BIPARTISAN LETTER WARNS GABBARD NEW UK ORDER FOR BACKDOOR APPLE DATA COULD JEOPARDIZE AMERICANS

The U.S. official further told Fox News Digital that the vice president “took a strong interest in this issue because of his background in technology, his concern for privacy, and his [sincere] commitment to maintain a strong U.S.-U.K. relationship.” 

Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard said in an X post on Monday that she, alongside President Donald Trump and Vance, had been working “closely with our partners in the U.K.” over the past several months “to ensure Americans’ private data remains private and our Constitutional rights and civil liberties are protected.” 

“As a result, the UK has agreed to drop its mandate for Apple to provide a ‘back door’ that would have enabled access to the protected encrypted data of American citizens and encroached on our civil liberties,” Gabbard wrote. 

Fox News Digital reached out to Apple and the British Home Office for comment but did not immediately hear back. 

In February, Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., penned a letter to the then-newly confirmed DNI, informing Gabbard of recent press reports that the U.K.’s home secretary “served Apple with a secret order” at the start of the…