US examining whether UK's encryption demand on Apple broke data treaty

(Reuters) - U.S. officials are examining whether the U.K. broke agreements between the two nations with a reported demand that Apple build a backdoor into its encrypted cloud storage systems.

Apple last week withdrew an encrypted storage feature or U.K. users after refusing to create a backdoor that would have allowed the government to access backups of photos and messages - including for users outside the U.K.

In a letter dated February 25 to two U.S. lawmakers, Tulsi Gabbard, the U.S. director of national intelligence, said that the U.S. is examining whether the demand broke a bilaterial agreement called the CLOUD Act that bars the U.K. from issuing demands for the data of U.S. citizens and vice versa.

(Reporting by Stephen Nellis)