On Friday, a London court conducted a confidential hearing reportedly related to Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL )’s appeal against a British government mandate to create a "back door" into its encrypted cloud storage systems. The media were excluded from the proceedings, despite a formal request to attend.

In a move that has raised privacy concerns, Apple disabled its Advanced Data Protection encryption for cloud data for new users in the UK in response to a "technical capability notice" issued by Britain in February, as reported by The Washington Post. The notice demands access to encrypted messages and photos, affecting users globally.

The case details remain undisclosed, with neither Apple nor the British government confirming the notice. The BBC identified the hearing at the Investigatory Powers Tribunal, which addresses claims of illegal intrusion by public entities, as Apple’s challenge to the order.

James Eadie, a legal representative for the government in significant cases, was present at the hearing but did not provide any comments. Similarly, Apple has not yet responded to inquiries regarding the matter.

An attorney representing ten media organizations, including Reuters and BBC, requested the tribunal to open the case to the public. Despite acknowledging the email, the court did not allow any media presence during the six-hour session.

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