Global Tech Groups Urge Governments to Protect Strong Encryption as Foundation of Digital Trust
The letter comes amid growing global efforts to regulate or mandate government access to encrypted data for criminal and national security investigations.
On 17 November 2025, more than 60 digital commerce and technology trade groups urged governments worldwide to reject any attempts to weaken or bypass encryption.
Organisations such as The App Association, the Business Software Alliance, the Information Technology Industry Council, the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project and others warned through a letter that strong encrypted communications are essential for safeguarding user privacy, ensuring secure data protection and maintaining the trust that underpins many of society’s most critical digital interactions.
The letter comes amid growing global efforts to regulate or mandate government access to encrypted data for criminal and national security investigations. Over the past year, several European countries have taken steps in this direction.
Earlier this year, Apple removed its end-to-end encrypted Advanced Data Protection feature in the UK after disputes with officials seeking access to iCloud data.
For decades, governments worldwide—from the U.S. to Europe—have proposed various methods to circumvent encryption, from Clipper Chips to key escrow systems.
The App Association argues that encryption underpins trust between users, businesses, and governments, and is critical for securing data in the modern digital economy. The association warns that “any effort to undermine encryption, whether through backdoors, key escrow systems, or technical mandates … erodes consumer confidence, and drives users and businesses toward unsecured platforms.”
The statement also emphasises that weakening encryption introduces systemic vulnerabilities that bad actors can exploit. By protecting strong encryption, policymakers can help safeguard not only privacy but also the integrity of digital trade and communications.
Echoing this concern, these organisations highlight ongoing regulatory debates—particularly in Europe—where proposals to mandate access to encrypted data risk undermining security for all users.
They pointed out that weakened encryption could disproportionately harm small and medium-sized app developers, whose very business depends on trust.
