U.K. spy powers draw U.S. scrutiny over alleged Apple encryption backdoor demand

The article focuses on U.S. scrutiny of U.K. surveillance laws and an alleged Apple encryption backdoor demand, highlighting broader national security and privacy concerns for tech firms and Western intelligence cooperation. U.S. lawmakers worry that secret technical capability notices could force companies to weaken encryption, creating vulnerabilities that adversaries like China, Russia, and Iran could exploit. The piece emphasizes that such backdoor access would not remain limited to one government and could undermine trust across the Five Eyes alliance. The market relevance is indirect but meaningful for U.S. technology and cybersecurity names, as renewed debate over encryption, lawful access, and state-sponsored hacking can affect policy risk, platform security costs, and sentiment toward large software and device makers.