Apple raises concerns over UK's internet surveillance bill

Apple has begun what is being described as a "Silicon Valley fight back" against the UK Government's planned internet surveillance law.

The tech giant is concerned that the Investigatory Powers Bill, which gives the government access to records of Britons' internet use, could set a precedent for its operations around the rest of the world.

In other words, in complying with the UK law, it could find itself having to give in to similar demands elsewhere, despite what the laws in those countries dictate.

That could spark "serious international conflicts", the company wrote in an eight page submission to the parliamentary committee examining the bill.

Apple raised two further concerns around encryption and equipment interference.

Encryption is a security technique that Apple uses on services like iMessage, which makes messages unreadable for anyone but the sender and recipient.

Apple is worried that the UK bill could be interpreted to mean that it would have to change its systems, or create a "backdoor", so that encryption could be overcome if authorities demanded it.

"A key left under the doormat would not just be there for the good guys. The bad guys would find it too," it wrote in its evidence.

Apple's trouble with equipment interference relates to how UK police and intelligence agencies carry out their investigations.

One technique they use, which they are aiming to be more open about according to the BBC, is hacking into devices remotely.

Apple, the world's most valuable company, claims the bill creates scope for companies to be asked to do this to their customers in secret.

"The bill as it stands seems to threaten to extend responsibility for hacking from government to the private sector."

Apple is the first major tech firm to give evidence to the committee, but Google, Facebook, Twitter, Yahoo and Microsoft are said to be planning a joint submission.

They will put forward similar criticisms, the Financial Times reported, citing sources.

Tech companies have been trying to win back the public's trust, after whistleblower Edward Snowden revealed that US and UK security services were able to access their internal networks.