US Rep. Jordan Urges UK to Review Surveillance Powers After Home Secretary Blocks Company Testimony on Encryption Notice

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan sent a letter on June 5 to UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood calling for a review of UK surveillance laws. The letter followed a decision by Mahmood to deny a US company permission to speak with Congress about an alleged encryption backdoor notice.

Jordan warned that a lack of bilateral coordination raised concerns about the trust and effective partnership between the US and UK.

The letter referenced UK use of secret Technical Capability Notices under the Investigatory Powers Act. Technical Capability Notices can require US companies to weaken encryption or create backdoors. The notices also prevent firms from disclosing requests without UK government approval.

Former Department of Defense official Andrew Badger said the episode reflects broader risks to intelligence cooperation. "Five Eyes works because every partner trusts the others not to weaken the systems they all depend on," Badger stated. Badger added that a backdoor compelled by one ally becomes a standing invitation to Beijing, Moscow and Tehran.

"Once one government can quietly compel access, others will demand the same, and a one-off concession hardens into a permanent vulnerability," he said. Badger noted that mainstream encrypted platforms now function as de facto infrastructure for sensitive communication well beyond the consumer market. "Any access point built into them becomes a permanent target," he said.

Badger pointed to the Salt Typhoon campaign, linked to China, which has targeted hundreds of organizations across roughly 80 countries. He also cited an Electoral Commission breach in the UK that exposed the data of roughly 40 million voters. Reports indicated that UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper used a burner phone during a recent trip to Beijing.