I wonder if the UK is a proxy or front here for the larger intelligence community (that the UK certainly is an integral part of).<p>Since it's outside of the EU now and is a significant market it might simply be demanding these measures (not just of Apple, it's illegal to acknowledge that one has received these demands so silence from others might indicate they are/have implemented them) and taking the heat for other nations. Compromised/backdoored encryption can be used by anyone with knowledge of it.
I think UK computer enthusiasts missed to boat to demand verifiable encryption on their mobile devices. The past 15 years operated on a basis of pure corporate trust, the demand for truly private E2E services was non-existent. Users patronized Apple because they <i>wanted</i> to trust Apple with their privacy. They didn't mandate any secure systems, they didn't demand audits or fair competition.<p>Now you get your just deserts. You want to see what happens when you ignore the DSA? Your services become enshittified beyond your wildest dreams.