The British government has issued a secret order demanding that Apple grant it full access to globally stored encrypted backups on the cloud, which could undermine the company’s commitment to protecting user privacy.

UK security officials have requested that Apple create a “backdoor” to retrieve all data uploaded to the cloud, a move that sets an unprecedented precedent in major democracies.

Apple may choose to halt encrypted storage services in the UK rather than violate its security promises; however, this would not meet the government’s demand for the same privilege in other countries, such as the United States.