(Reuters) -Britain's security officials have ordered that Apple ( AAPL ) create a so-called 'back door' allowing them to retrieve all the content any Apple ( AAPL ) user worldwide has uploaded to the cloud, The Washington Post reported on Friday citing people familiar with the matter.

Rather than break the security promises it made to its users everywhere, Apple ( AAPL ) is likely to stop offering encrypted storage in the UK, the report said, citing unnamed sources.

UK's office of the Home Secretary has served Apple ( AAPL ) with a document called a technical capability notice, ordering it to provide the access, as per Washington Post.

Apple ( AAPL ) did not respond to a Reuters request for comment outside regular business hours.

Britain's interior ministry did not immediately comment on the report.

Britain in January used its regulatory powers to launch an investigation into Apple ( AAPL ) and Google's smartphone operating systems, app stores and browsers.

(Reporting by Mrinmay Dey in Bengaluru; Editing by Mrigank Dhaniwala)