WhatsApp has told the BBC it is supporting Apple in its legal fight against the UK Home Office over user data privacy.
The messaging app's boss, Will Cathcart, said the case "could set a dangerous precedent" by "emboldening other nations" to seek to break encryption, which is how tech firms keep their users' data private.
Apple went to the courts after receiving a notice from the Home Office earlier this year demanding the right to access the data of its global customers if required in the interests of national security.
It and other critics of the government's position say the request compromises the privacy of millions of users.
The BBC has approached the Home Office for comment.
