Apple vs. the FBI: all the news on the battle for encryption's future
A judge has ordered Apple to comply with an FBI demand to help unlock a phone used by one of the San Bernardino shooters, but the company has vowed to fight the decision, with Tim Cook calling the order "an unprecedented step which threatens the security of our customers." The battle could determine the future of encryption. Stay up to date here as news develops.
Major Updates
- How San Bernardino changes the FBI’s war on encryption
- How a new hack put Apple's FBI fight on hold
- Security experts say Apple order 'endangers public safety'
- New York court rejects FBI argument for breaking iPhone lockscreen
- Watch Tim Cook's full 30-minute interview on Apple's fight with the FBI
- Court documents detail 13 ‘similar’ Apple devices under FBI investigation
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How San Bernardino changes the FBI’s war on encryption
As of last night, Apple’s San Bernardino troubles are officially over. Yesterday, the FBI announced that it no longer needs Apple’s help in breaking into an iPhone linked to last year’s attacks, thanks to a new method for unlocking the phone submitted by an anonymous outside source. For the first time in weeks, Apple’s lawyers can breathe easy.
But San Bernardino was just one battle in a much larger fight. The FBI’s Going Dark Initiative has been pushing for encryption backdoors since 2014,...
After something really bad happens, the politics of this will swing -
Read Apple's response to the FBI's San Bernardino iPhone hack
The dispute between the FBI and Apple over an iPhone connected to the San Bernardino terrorist shootings came to an unexpected end earlier today, as the FBI revealed it had managed to break into the phone without Apple's assistance. Details of how exactly it achieved this remain unclear.
"It remains a priority for the government to ensure that law enforcement can obtain crucial digital information to protect national security and public safety," said the Department of Justice in a statement,...
This case should never have been brought. -
Apple's San Bernardino fight is officially over as government confirms working attack
After months of work, the FBI finally has a way into the San Bernardino iPhone. In a court filing today, prosecutors told the court the new method for breaking into the phone is sound, and Apple's assistance is no longer required. "The government has now successfully accessed the data stored on Farook’s iPhone," the filing reads, "and therefore no longer requires assistance from Apple." The filing provides no further details on the nature of the new method. Still, the result effectively...
The government has now successfully accessed the data. -
An Israeli company is reportedly helping the FBI crack the San Bernardino iPhone
The FBI abruptly halted its heated case against Apple on Monday, citing a new break-in method from an unnamed "outside source." In the days since, the security industry has been puzzling over the identity of that mysterious source. But now, the mask is being lifted. Cellebrite, an Israeli mobile forensic software company, is reportedly helping the FBI get into Syed Farook’s device, according to reports from Reuters and Ynet.
The FBI "has been reportedly using the services of the...
An FBI contractor came through -
New iPhone hack caught Justice Department off guard, court transcript shows
Yesterday, the government made a surprising retreat in the San Bernardino encryption case, after an unnamed source revealed a new method of breaking iPhone lockscreen protections. After a hastily assembled conference call, the parties agreed to put the court order on hold until it could be determined whether Apple's help was still necessary.
But excerpts from a court transcript of that proceeding, published here for the first time, show the government was far less prepared for the new method...
There's also the possibility that it will not work -
How a new hack put Apple's FBI fight on hold
Last night, Apple’s month-long struggle with the FBI was abruptly paused, with the FBI putting the order to compel Apple on hold until it can try out a new attack it believes will unlock the San Bernardino iPhone. If the attack works (and the FBI seems confident that it will), it would mean a sudden end to the fight that has consumed both sides since February. It’s still possible the new method will fail and the case will resume in April, but after months of high-stakes legal sparring, the...
Will the iPhone be a warrant-proof space? -
Judge suspends Apple's San Bernardino case pending FBI hack
Apple's monthlong legal odyssey is now officially suspended, after a magistrate judge approved the FBI's request for continuation earlier this afternoon, staying the court order placed on Apple more than a month ago. The FBI now has until April 5th to test a method that the bureau says could potentially unlock the phone without Apple's assistance. If that method is successful, the motion to compel Apple's help and build a security-breaking "GovtOS" system would be dropped, ending a monthlong...
a cease fire in the encryption fight -
FBI asks to delay Apple trial so it can try hacking the iPhone again
The FBI just filed a motion to delay Tuesday's hearing in the San Bernardino iPhone case, claiming that an "outside party" may be able to help it break into the phone without Apple's help. The motion comes after weeks of escalation tension in the case with Apple, the FBI, and other stakeholders arguing the case in public before it reached courts. It's not clear who is helping the FBI or what the new method entails, but it may not be coming from the NSA, despite speculation that the...
FBI may save fight against Apple for another day -
Fear of a hack is Apple's wild card in the encryption debate
It’s been just over a month since a court ordered Apple to break security measures on the San Bernardino iPhone — and for most of the time since, the company has been scrambling to keep up. In the days after the order, Apple was slammed with bad press from cable news and other outlets. Since then, Tim Cook has done more interviews and appearances, but it’s always been pushing back against the anti-encryption narrative, never been on his own terms.
At Apple’s big event today, that changed....
We did not expect to be in this position. -
Tim Cook says FBI fight is about 'a responsibility to help you protect your data'
Tim Cook took today's Apple event as a chance to strike back at government demands that the company break security measures on a phone used in the San Bernardino attack. "We built the iPhone for you, our customers," Cook told the crowd. "We need to decide, as a nation, how much power the government should have over our data and our privacy."
"We did not expect to be in this position, at odds with our own government," he continued, "but we believe strongly that we have a responsibility to...
We built the iPhone for you, our customers. -
Apple's product security expert will testify on Tuesday in San Bernardino case
On Tuesday, Apple will face the first major hearing in the San Bernardino iPhone case, and new details suggest the company will be speaking directly to the security issues involved. The FBI has requested an evidentiary hearing, which means the court will hear testimony from witnesses on both sides.
Those witnesses will include Eric Neuenschwander, Apple's head of product security and privacy, who can speak to the company's security measures and the feasibility of the government's proposed...
A preview of Tuesday's court date -
Apple employees may quit rather than comply with FBI encryption orders, says NYT
Compelling Apple to break its own security measures may not be as simple as it sounds. A new New York Times report suggests that even if the company loses its court fight and is legally compelled to produce security-breaking software, the employees tasked with creating the software may quit or simply stop working rather than comply with the court order. If enough of the company's employees participate in the action, it could make the FBI's goal nearly impossible to achieve.
Could civil disobedience stop the FBI demands? -
Steve Wozniak on an Apple backdoor: 'bad people are going to find their way to it'
In a Reddit Ask Me Anything Q&A, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak has added more of his thoughts to the debate stirred by Apple and the FBI. As the government and Wozniak's former company continue their legal battle over an iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino shooters, Wozniak writes in defense of Apple and "the side of personal liberties."
He says — although does not elaborate fully on the specifics — that he twice "wrote things that could have been viruses," and later tossed "every bit...
Writes in defense of personal liberties -
In the Apple encryption fight, the FBI is now on China's side
As Apple filed its defense against the government on Monday, FBI Director James Comey was in Beijing, meeting with the head of China's surveillance state. According to state media reports, Comey and Public Security Minister Guo Shengkun discussed ways to "deepen law enforcement and security cooperation."
It was a diplomatic meeting, trying to warm a relationship that’s been chilled by countless hacking and trade secrets incidents — but it was also a strange reflection of the bureau's ongoing...
Apple uses the same security protocols everywhere in the world. -
Apple says the Justice Department is using the law as an 'all-powerful magic wand'
In a filing entered today in Central California district court, Apple says the government wants the law to act as "an all-powerful magic wand" that could force the company into assisting law enforcement. The argument comes in response to FBI demands for Apple to break security on an iPhone linked to the San Bernardino shooting, giving investigators access to data stored locally on the phone. Apple has resisted those demands, in part arguing that Congress had explicitly denied those powers to...
Apple says the founders of the US would be appalled -
John Oliver explains why Apple needs encryption to stay a step ahead of hackers
We've heard from some heavyweight names on both sides in the ongoing encryption battle between Apple and the FBI, but as is increasingly common with complicated issues, perhaps the most succinct analysis has come from John Oliver. The comedian tackled the topic on his most recent show, coming out in favor of Apple for the most part, but taking the time to remind his viewers that the technology company is pushing so hard for encryption because it's only barely staying one step ahead of...
This shaky edifice can crumble at any moment. -
Obama tells tech community to solve encryption problem now or pay later
President Barack Obama called on the tech community to build a safe encryption key to assist in law enforcement investigations, saying that if it failed, it could one day face a more draconian solution passed by a Congress that is less sympathetic to its worldview. The president said he could not comment on the FBI's current fight with Apple over its demand that the company build software to unlock data on an iPhone used by one of the alleged San Bernardino shooters. But he spoke broadly...
It will become sloppy and rushed -
Donald Trump has already given up his iPhone boycott
Three weeks ago, Donald Trump announced an impromptu boycott of Apple products "until such time as Apple gives cellphone info to authorities regarding radical Islamic terrorist couple from Cal." A staunch supporter of the FBI's demands, Trump said he owns both Samsung and Apple phones, but pledged to use only the Samsung phone until Apple complied with the court order in San Bernardino.
But three weeks down the line, Mr. Trump seems to have forgotten about the boycott entirely. In the past...
Sad! -
The tone between Apple and the FBI is now openly hostile
As Apple and the FBI head to another hearing on the San Bernardino iPhone case, both sides are growing more aggressive — and the exchange is quickly turning negative. Hours ago, federal prosecutors filed a motion that said "Apple’s rhetoric is not only false, but also corrosive of the very institutions that are best able to safeguard our liberty and our rights." The government also pushed back against Apple's concerns over the "backdoor" to iPhone making its way to the wrong hands. "Far from...
Everyone should beware. -
Government claims San Bernardino shooter had disabled iCloud backup system
A new filing from the government has struck back at one of the central claims in Apple's San Bernardino defense. One of the most controversial aspects of the case has been FBI handling of Syed Farook's phone in the days after the shooting, particularly the decision to reset the password in an attempt to recover Farook's iCloud account. In doing so, many have argued that the government blew its chance to recover data from Farook's phone through an iCloud auto-backup, which would have been...
New evidence from Farook's iCloud account -
Prosecutors push back against Apple defense in new court filing
Today, prosecutors filed a new motion seeking to compel Apple to break security measures on an iPhone used in the San Bernardino attacks. "The government and the community need to know what is on the terrorist’s phone, and the government needs Apple’s assistance to find out," the filing argues. " Apple’s rhetoric is not only false, but also corrosive of the very institutions that are best able to safeguard our liberty and our rights."
This is the third motion the prosecution has filed...
The feds strike back -
Why Apple is announcing the next iPhone on the day before its big encryption fight
Apple just pulled off a major scheduling coup. After months of rumors, the company announced today that its next product keynote will come on March 21st, just one day before the company defends itself against government efforts to break security on a phone linked to the San Bernardino attacks.
We don't know exactly why the move was made, but it's hard to believe that timing is a coincidence. The court date has been set almost a month, and Apple is typically very deliberate when it comes to...
The line between politics and marketing is not as clear as it seems -
Apple's Eddy Cue says FBI's encryption stance benefits hackers and criminals
The FBI's stance on encryption benefits hackers, according to Apple senior vice president Eddy Cue, speaking yesterday about the ongoing legal battle swirling around the iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino shooters. "Of course that's not the way they are looking at it," Cue told Univision in a Spanish-language interview. "But really that's what is happening."
Cue conducted the interview in Spanish with Univision
Cue is the latest Apple executive to speak out about against the FBI's...
Of course that's not the way they are looking at it. -
Why the NSA is staying out of Apple's fight with the FBI
From the beginning of Apple’s fight with the FBI, there’s been an inconvenient question: why can’t the NSA just break into the San Bernardino iPhone? We know from Edward Snowden that the agency has eyes nearly everywhere, amassing data in transit and developing exploits to break specific devices like the iPhone at the center of this case. What could we be looking for in the San Bernardino phone that the NSA can’t somehow pry loose?
But while the FBI has pulled no punches in going after...
Why isn't the NSA helping the FBI in San Bernardino? -
Bill Gates has no real position on Apple vs. FBI
Even Bill Gates isn't quite sure what Apple should do about encryption. Gates weighed in on the Apple vs. FBI controversy during a Reddit AMA this afternoon, arguing that a balance needs to be struck between security and the ability to provide law enforcement with critical information — but he indicated that it was unclear to him where that line should be drawn. "This case will be viewed as the start of a discussion," he writes. "For tech companies there needs to be some consistency including...
There is no avoiding this debate. -
Top tech CEOs reportedly join Republicans for secret meeting on private island
Some of the most powerful people in the technology industry met with Republican senators, party officials, and assorted billionaires on a private island last weekend, the Huffington Post reports, with the main topic of conversation being the rise of Donald Trump, and how best to stop him. Among those attending the event — the American Enterprise Institute's World Forum — were Apple CEO Tim Cook, Tesla and SpaceX boss Elon Musk, and Google co-founder Larry Page.
The secretive annual event,...
Talking encryption and Trump -
Department of Justice appeals ruling in New York iPhone unlocking case
The Department of Justice is pushing to appeal its defeat last week in a New York iPhone unlocking case. The government sought to unlock an iPhone used in a methamphetamine smuggling operation through the powers granted by the All Writs Act, but was vigorously rejected by Magistrate Judge Orenstein in a 50-page decision handed down on February 29th. Now, the government is hoping to overturn that decision in appeals court. The case is similar to a simultaneous case playing out in the wake of...
We share the Judge's concern. -
Clinton on Apple: there must be 'some way to avoid breaking data encryption’
Hillary Clinton has weighed in on the ongoing encryption debate between Apple and the FBI, describing the situation as "the worst dilemma ever." Speaking in Grand Rapids, Michigan, the democratic presidential candidate equivocated between the two positions, specifying that "there has got to be some way to avoid breaking data encryption and opening the door to a lot of bad actors," but that there also "has to be some way to follow up on criminal activity and prevent crimes and terrorism."
C...
I am in the middle of the worst dilemma ever” -
Apple VP says FBI encryption order 'puts everyone at risk'
As the legal battle between Apple and the FBI continues, Apple's vice president of software today presented the company's case to the public. Craig Federighi, Apple's vice president of software, is the latest to present the case for the company to the public. In an op-ed in the Washington Post, Federighi argues that the FBI is demanding Apple "turn back the clock to a less-secure time," a move that he says "puts everyone at risk."
...Federighi suggests terrorists may be able to hack your phone
They have suggested that the safeguards of iOS 7 were good enough. -
French law would fine Apple if it doesn't hand over encrypted data in terror cases
France's lower house of parliament yesterday passed an amendment that would levy penalties against technology companies that do not provide access to encrypted data during terrorism investigations. The amendment, which has the support of right-wing politicians but is opposed by the socialist government of President François Hollande, was approved as part of a broader bill aimed at combatting terrorism and organized crime. The National Assembly will vote on the entire bill on March 8th, before...
Encryption debate is heating up in Paris -
San Bernardino iPhone could contain 'dormant cyber pathogen,' says cyberpunk DA
The iPhone at the center of the ongoing legal battle between Apple and the FBI may hold a "dormant cyber pathogen" that could cripple San Bernardino, according to the county's District Attorney. Michael Ramos' court filing ascertains that the iPhone, provided to San Bernardino shooter Syed Rizwan Farook by his employers, "may contain evidence that can only be found on the seized phone that it was used as a weapon to introduce a lying dormant cyber pathogen that endangers San Bernardino's...
Cyberspeculation -
Google, Microsoft, and other tech giants file legal briefs in support of Apple
Today saw the deadline for amicus briefs in the heated iPhone security trial, and several companies and interested parties took the opportunity to make their case before the court.
The most significant brief came from Google, Microsoft, Facebook, Amazon, Evernote, and nine other major firms, which emphasized the severe harm that would come from court-initiated mandate as opposed to a more considered legislative action. "[The signed companies] pride themselves on transparency with the public,...
Only Congress can address these issues. -
Security experts say Apple order 'endangers public safety'
Security experts are not happy about the FBI's proposal to break security on an iPhone linked to the San Bernardino attack. Today, seven of those experts submitted their arguments in an amicus brief to the court considering the order, arguing the proposed software would weaken lockscreen protections for iPhone users around the world, with potentially dire consequences. The seven authors include iOS specialist Jonathan Zdziarski, famous cryptographer Bruce Schneier, and Charlie Miller, best...
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Apple lawyer on iPhone fight: 'The world is watching right now'
If Apple helps the FBI break security on the San Bernardino iPhone, will the rest of the world follow its lead? It's been a live question in recent conversations around the issue, and Apple General Counsel Bruce Sewell raised it again today in testimony before the House Judiciary Committee.
"I think that the world is watching what happens right now in our government and what happens even right now with respect to this particular debate," Sewell told the committee. "Our ability to maintain a...
The only place we’re having this debate is in our own country. -
FBI and Apple take iPhone battle to House committee hearing
Today, members of the House Judiciary Committee got a front-row seat to Apple's legal battle with the FBI, in a hearing entitled The Encryption Tightrope. The committee took testimony from FBI Director James Comey, Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance, and Apple General Counsel Bruce Sewell, each of whom made a case for their side of the increasingly contentious San Bernardino case.
The hearing began with testimony from FBI Director James Comey, who portrayed encryption as a long term...
If there are warrant-proof spaces in American life, what does that mean? -
Watch live as Apple and the FBI make their cases to Congress
Today, the House Judiciary Committee takes on the encryption issue, hearing testimony from both the FBI and Apple in the midst of a controversial and closely watched trial. Called The Encryption Tightrope: Balancing Americans' Security and Privacy, the hearing will hear testimony from FBI Director James Comey, Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance and Apple chief counsel Bruce Sewell, scheduled to begin at 1PM ET. According to the committee, the goal will be "to find a solution that allows law...
A House committee is taking on encryption -
New bill proposes national commission on digital security
Congress is starting to address the legal fight between Apple and the FBI. A bill introduced today would create a "National Commission on Security and Technology Challenges," assembling experts from the technology and law enforcement communities to produce a report on encryption policy.
It's a long way from anything legally binding for either Apple or the FBI, but the commission could provide a crucial starting point for future legislative action on the issues currently faced by the courts....
It's time to work together. -
Husband of San Bernardino survivor supports Apple in FBI standoff
The husband of a woman who survived the San Bernardino shooting has expressed his support for Apple in its ongoing standoff with the FBI. In a letter to Judge Sheri Pym, Salihin Kondoker said he initially felt that Apple should unlock an iPhone owned by one of the shooters, as the FBI has demanded, though he has since become convinced that the information on the phone would not be valuable enough to justify building a backdoor.
Anies Kondoker, Salihin's wife, was shot three times during the...
it is unlikely there is any valuable information on this phone. -
New York court rejects FBI argument for breaking iPhone lockscreen
Apple just won a major victory in an iPhone warrant case — although it may not help the company in its San Bernardino trial. The victory comes from a New York district court that's been facing something legally similar to the higher-profile warrant case playing out in San Bernardino. In a 50-page ruling, Magistrate Judge Orenstein found that the All Writs Act did not justify the government's request, and denied the government's request to legally compel Apple's help.
In denying the request,...
Cannot be considered agreeable to the usages and principles of law -
The five questions that will decide Apple’s fight with the FBI
When the FBI order to break security protections on Syed Farook’s phone arrived on February 16th, it came as a surprise to nearly everyone. FBI director Comey had hinted that the bureau was still struggling with a locked phone from the San Bernardino case, but the bureau had been complaining about locked phones for more than a year. The idea of compelling Apple to build passcode-breaking software was still a novelty. What would such a case even look like?
Now, we’re starting to get...
criminals, terrorists, and hackers will no doubt view the code as a major prize -
Read Apple's statement to Congress on the FBI warrant fight
Tomorrow, Apple will make its case before Congress, as General Counsel Bruce Sewell gives testimony to the House Judiciary Committee at 1PM ET. It's Apple's first appearance before Congress since the company received an order to break security measures on a phone linked to the San Bernardino attacks, and Sewell may be facing a skeptical crowd. He'll be joined by Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance, who has been an outspoken critic of the company's encryption policies, as well as a number...
We now find ourselves at the center of an extraordinary circumstance -
Really understanding Apple's legal brief in the FBI case
The fight between Apple and the FBI over the security protections on the San Bernadino iPhone has been fierce for the past few weeks, but it’s mostly been a PR battle thus far. From a legal and procedural standpoint, only two things had actually happened until yesterday: the FBI filed a motion to compel Apple to help it bypass security restrictions on the phone, and a magistrate judge ordered the company to comply. But yesterday Apple filed a motion to vacate judge Sherri Pym’s order, which...
It's more about security than privacy -
Police chief says iPhone at center of FBI case could be useless to authorities
Even if Apple loses its high-profile legal fight with the FBI, San Bernardino city law enforcement isn't expecting any fresh leads. In an interview with NPR's Morning Edition, San Bernardino Police Chief Jarrod Burguan said that he thinks the phone at the center of the litigation may not contain any valuable information, although he supports the FBI's efforts to compel Apple's help in obtaining the data inside. "I'll be honest with you, I think that there is a reasonably good chance that...
The probability is probably low, but it could be. -
Most Americans still think Apple should comply with FBI orders, new poll shows
Just over half of Americans believe that Apple should unlock an iPhone owned by one of the San Bernardino terrorists, according to a poll published today, while 33 percent think it should not cede to the FBI's demands. The poll, conducted by the Washington, DC-based firm Morning Consult, provides a detailed analysis of American opinion amid a stalemate that has revived the debate over privacy and national security.
The poll of 1,935 registered voters, conducted online over February 24th and...
But they're also concerned over data security -
This is what it would take to build what Apple calls ‘GovtOS'
Apple is trying to prove that the FBI's request to hack the iPhone is "unduly burdensome," so today it laid out in more detail what it would take to comply. The company had said it would have to create a custom OS in order to help the FBI break into the iPhone 5C previously belonging to suspected San Bernarndino shooter Syed Farook. Apple is now calling that custom operating system "GovtOS," and says it could tie up resources for as long a month.
Apple suggests creating GovtOS would distract...
A custom OS for law enforcement -
Apple pushes back on iPhone order, says FBI is seeking ‘dangerous power'
Today, Apple filed a motion to vacate the district court order demanding it break security protections on a phone linked to the San Bernardino attacks. The filing lays out Apple's extensive legal objections to the FBI order, setting the stage for a lengthy court battle. "This is not a case about one isolated iPhone," the motion reads. "Rather, this case is about the Department of Justice and the FBI seeking through the courts a dangerous power that Congress and the American people have...
This is not a case about one isolated iPhone -
Verizon takes Apple’s side in FBI showdown
Verizon Wireless, the largest mobile carrier in the United States, has strongly — and rather unexpectedly — stood up in support of Apple in its legal showdown with the FBI. In a statement, CEO Lowell McAdam said "Verizon is committed to protecting customer privacy and one of the tools for protecting that privacy is encryption." According to the chief executive, Verizon supports "availability of strong encryption with no back doors."
And just like Apple's Tim Cook, McAdam is pushing for a...
We support the availability of strong encryption with no back doors. -
Microsoft 'wholeheartedly' supports Apple in FBI encryption case
Speaking at a congressional hearing today, Microsoft president and chief legal officer Brad Smith said that his company "wholeheartedly" supports Apple in the ongoing case that's pitted the iPhone maker against the FBI. "We at Microsoft support Apple and will be filing an amicus brief next week," Smith said. An amicus brief is a "friend of the court" filing that allows parties not directly involved in the case to weigh in. Before today, Microsoft had offered only tepid support for Apple's,...
Microsoft will make a court filing next week -
Apple and the FBI will face off at a Congressional hearing on March 1st
Apple general counsel Bruce Sewell will argue Apple’s encryption case in front of the House of Representatives' Judiciary Committee on March 1st. Joining him will be New York District Attorney Cyrus Vance, encryption specialist and professor at Worcester Polytechnic Institute Susan Landau, and — during a separate panel — FBI director James Comey. The hearing, titled "The Encryption Tightrope: Balancing Americans' Security and Privacy," will begin at 1PM ET.
Members of the committee called...
Apple is coming to Washington -
Apple is working on iCloud security that would lock out law enforcement, reports say
iCloud could be facing some serious changes as a result of Apple's legal fight with the FBI. A Financial Times report today claimed that the company is working on stronger security measures for iCloud, which would potentially block access from both Apple and law enforcement requests. First hinted at in a New York Times article earlier this week, the work is still very preliminary, but would potentially expand Apple's legal fight as law enforcement officials continue to seek data held in the...
The system might also lock out forgetful users -
Watch Tim Cook's full 30-minute interview on Apple's fight with the FBI
Tonight, ABC World News aired an interview with Apple CEO Tim Cook, with the conversation focused on the ongoing encryption battle between the iPhone manufacturer and federal authorities. But it turns out what viewers saw on TV was only a small portion; the full-length interview runs just short of a half hour. It's rare to see Cook in this sort of lengthy, uninterrupted exchange.
He acknowledges that Apple is actually working against public opinion in its refusal to concede to the FBI's...
This is not what should be happening in this country. -
Apple is working to make future iPhones even harder to break into
Apple is reportedly hard at work on closing the loophole that would allow the company to aid the FBI in breaking into an iPhone used by the San Bernardino shooter. Company executives alluded to the plan to expand iPhone security in interviews with the media on Friday, and now The New York Times says the company has been working on making the iPhone impossible to crack since even before the attack that took place last December.
At the heart of the issue is a troubleshooting feature that...
The iPhone could become impenetrable -
Tim Cook says FBI order 'could expose people to incredible vulnerabilities'
Just eight days after a court ordered Apple to break security protections on an iPhone linked with the San Bernardino attacks, CEO Tim Cook appeared on national news to plead his case to the public. Cook's interview with ABC's David Muir aired on ABC World News Tonight. "They have our deepest sympathy," Cook said of the San Bernardino families, some of whom have joined in the FBI's requests for Apple to unlock the phone. "What they’ve been through, no one should have to go through."
But...
This would be bad for America. -
Maricopa county attorney cancels official iPhone orders in protest
Apple's legal fight with the FBI has made the company very unpopular with some law enforcement groups, and that's now beginning to translate to office budgets. In a memo sent to staff on Sunday, the Maricopa County attorney's office announced it would no longer purchase iPhones for its employees, in direct response to Apple's legal fight. The county attorney will also decline to upgrade or replace official iPhones that are currently in use. In a statement explaining the move, county attorney...
Apple [is] on the side of the terrorists -
The problem with 'unlocking'
For FBI allies, "unlocking" has become a useful word. The latest salvo came in a New York Times opinion piece on Tuesday, in which NYPD commissioner William Bratton and a coauthor weighed in on Apple’s legal fight under the headline "Why Apple Should Unlock an iPhone."
The problem, according to Bratton, started when Apple decided to stop unlocking phones in the first place. "Until 17 months ago, Apple held the key that could override protections and open phones," the piece claimed. "Apple...
Either they don’t understand the underlying technology or they’re intentionally lying. -
New poll suggests nearly half of Americans support Apple in its fight with the FBI
The American public might be on Apple’s side in its war with the FBI. An Ipsos poll conducted for Reuters found that 46 percent of Americans support Apple’s opposition to the FBI’s court order demanding it subvert its iPhone security. Thirty-five percent disagreed with the company's decision to fight the demands, and 20 percent didn’t know what to think. The study results came from an online poll conducted earlier this week with 1,576 Americans.
More than half of people also agreed that if A...
Americans don't know what to think -
Apple reportedly wants Congress to decide on iPhone encryption case
Apple will argue this week that the issue of whether it should assist the FBI in accessing a locked iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino shooters should be decided by Congress, rather than the courts, the AP reports. According to documents detailing Apple's upcoming arguments in the case, provided to the AP by Apple attorney Theodore J. Boutrous Jr., the company will also claim that the US government is improperly using 1789's All Writs Act to force Apple's compliance.
Moving the case...
Move may result in encryption legislation -
Apple's reality distortion field is losing against the terrorism distortion field
The funny thing about the FBI and tech writers accusing Apple of refusing to hack the iPhone as a "marketing strategy" is that siding with terrorists is a bad strategy. Apple is not doing that, of course, but to understand how the All Writs Act and custom firmware impact the security and privacy of everyone in the world you have to look past four headlines that say APPLE REFUSES TO UNLOCK TERROR PHONE. Apple’s narrative may be no match for the terrorism debate, which warps everything in its...
Public opinion is not on Apple's side -
Court documents detail 13 ‘similar’ Apple devices under FBI investigation
Court documents unsealed today reveal thirteen different Apple devices currently subject to court order by the FBI. Twelve of the devices are listed in a filing by Apple in response to a New York district court request, while the Department of Justice mentions an additional device in a subsequent letter. The list is necessarily incomplete and includes mostly recent cases, in which Apple objected to the request after December 9th of last year.
It also does not include any devices under order...
Eight of the thirteen devices are running iOS 7 or earlier -
Bill Gates says he was 'disappointed' by reports he backs FBI in Apple fight
In an interview with Bloomberg, Bill Gates says he was "disappointed" by reports that he supported the FBI in its legal battle with Apple, saying "that doesn't state my view on this."
But doesn't fully back Apple -
Telegram hits 100 million users as CEO voices support for Apple over FBI
Telegram, the encrypted messaging app that launched in 2013, now has 100 million monthly active users. In a blog post announcing the milestone, the company said 350,000 new users are joining the service every day, and that 15 billion messages are sent on the app daily. Telegram founder Pavel Durov revealed the company's latest figures at a keynote speech at Mobile World Congress on Tuesday.
Telegram has seen sharp growth in recent months, adding 38 million monthly active users since May,...
I side with Tim Cook. -
US trying to force Apple to unlock ‘about a dozen’ other iPhones, says WSJ
In addition to the iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino shooters, the US government is pursuing court orders to force Apple to help bypass the security passcodes of "about a dozen" other iPhones, the Wall Street Journal reports. The other cases don't involve terror charges, the Journal's sources say, but prosecutors involved have also sought to use the same 220-year-old law — the All Writs Act of 1789 — to access the phones in question.
The FBI has argued that it only wants Apple to...
In addition to San Bernardino shooter's phone -
Bill Gates says Apple should unlock the San Bernardino iPhone
The tech industry has been generally supportive of Apple in its fight against the FBI's demand to unlock an iPhone linked to the San Bernardino shootings, but one big name is on the FBI's side: Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, who seems unswayed by fears of compromised security and a potential legal precedent.
"This is a specific case where the government is asking for access to information. They are not asking for some general thing, they are asking for a particular case," Gates tells the F...
I hope that we have that debate. -
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg backs Apple in its FBI fight
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg echoed Google CEO Sundar Pichai and WhatsApp founder Jan Koum today in stating his personal support for Apple in its encryption fight with the FBI. "We’re sympathetic with Apple on this one," Zuckerberg said today at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. "We believe in encryption. I expect it’s not the right thing to try to block that from the mainstream products people want to use, and I think it’s not going to be the right regulatory or economic policy to put...
Mark Zuckerberg sides with Apple -
More than half of Americans think Apple should comply with FBI, finds Pew survey
Apple may not have the public's support in its legal fight with the FBI, according to a recently published Pew report. In a survey that reached 1,000 respondents by phone over the weekend, Pew researchers found 51 percent of respondents believed Apple should comply with FBI demands to weaken security measures on an iPhone used in the San Bernardino attacks, in order to further the ongoing investigation. Only 38 percent of respondents agreed with the company's position.
Limiting the sample to...
Only 38 percent of respondents supported Apple -
Why Apple and the FBI are fighting over an iCloud account
For the last six days, Apple has been waging the legal fight of its life over a phone used by alleged San Bernardino attacker Syed Farook. The case centers on whether the government can compel Apple to rewrite the phone’s security protections to allow the FBI access to the data inside. But while the phone itself is still the center of the legal fight, this weekend’s conversations focused on data that’s already been pulled off the phone to Farook’s iCloud account.
That iCloud account contains...
iCloud backups have taken center stage in Apple's legal fight -
Read Tim Cook's email to Apple employees about its fight against the FBI
Apple CEO Tim Cook sent out a memo to Apple employees this morning, thanking them for their support in the company's ongoing standoff with the FBI and reiterating its stance against granting backdoor access to an iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino terrorists. In the memo, obtained by The Verge and first reported by BuzzFeed News, Cook says Apple is not backing down in its resistance to a court order to unlock the iPhone, saying the demand would set a "dangerous precedent that threatens...
A dangerous precedent that threaten's everyone's civil liberties. -
Apple calls for government commission to settle encryption debate
Apple CEO Tim Cook has called on the FBI to withdraw its demand for backdoor access to an iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino terrorists, saying that the debate over encryption, privacy, and national security should instead be settled by a commission of experts. The company outlined its position in a Q&A page on its website, reaffirming its resistance to the court order.
In an internal memo obtained by BuzzFeed News, Cook thanked Apple employees for their support and outlined the...
Apple says it would gladly participate -
FBI director: 'We don't want to break anyone's encryption' in San Bernardino iPhone case
FBI director James Comey has written a brief op-ed for Lawfare laying out the organization's thinking over Apple's resistance to unlocking an iPhone linked to the San Bernardino shootings. Comey attempts to allay fears that the FBI's request is designed to make it easier to gain access to iPhones in the future, arguing that it "isn't about trying to set a precedent or send any kind of message. It is about the victims and justice. Fourteen people were slaughtered and many more had their lives...
We can't look the survivors in the eye if we don't follow this lead. -
Victims of San Bernardino shooting support FBI in iPhone encryption debate
Google, Microsoft, Facebook, and Twitter have come out against attempts by the FBI to force Apple to unlock an iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino shooters, but now the US government is getting its own heavyweight support. Some of the victims of last December's mass shooting are set to formalize their support of the US government's stance, Reuters reports, filing a legal brief that supports the FBI's efforts to gain access to the passcoded device.
Stephen Larson, a lawyer representing...
They need to know why, how this could happen. -
Apple says foreign governments will demand iPhone access if FBI wins
In an interview with reporters today, a senior Apple executive made the case that, should the company comply with United States government demands to help unlock an iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino shooters, other governments will soon follow suit.
Apple's slippery slope argument suggests that following the demand will have global repercussions — that by complying with the United States, they will be forced to hear similar demands made by countries like China. Reports have suggested...
Argues countries like China will be next -
Apple execs say county officials reset San Bernardino suspect's iCloud password
County officials changed the Apple ID password in the crucial days after the attack, senior Apple executives said today on a call with reporters. Had the Apple ID not changed, executives said, the data on the phone could potentially have been retrieved through the iPhone's auto-backup feature, which would have transmitted the data to the county-controlled iCloud system. Still, it's unclear whether such a tactic would have worked if the password had not been reset. Farook's phone had not...
Farook's phone had ceased backing up in October -
Donald Trump calls for a boycott of Apple products
At a rally today in South Carolina, Donald Trump called for a boycott of Apple products in response to the company's current legal standoff with the FBI. Currently the frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination, Trump was speaking at a rally in advance of tomorrow's South Carolina primary. "First of all, Apple ought to give the security for that phone," Trump told a crowd of supporters. "What I think you ought to do is boycott Apple until such time as they give that security...
How do you like that? I just thought of that. -
Justice Department says Apple’s defense of encryption is just a marketing stunt
In a new motion filed today, the Justice Department is seeking to force Apple to comply with the order asking it assist the FBI in breaking into the iPhone 5C of San Bernardino shooter Syed Farook. "Rather than assist the effort to fully investigate a deadly terrorist attack by obeying this court's [previous order], Apple has responded by publicly repudiating that order," US attorneys wrote. Going further, the Justice Department considers Apple's refusal "to be based on its concern for its...
DOJ throws its weight into the encryption debate -
How dangerous is the tool the FBI is asking Apple to build?
On Tuesday, a US district court ordered Apple to break security protections on an iPhone linked to the San Bernardino attacks, drawing the company into one of the most important legal fights of its life. The legal precedent is serious, but there’s also a real concern that even creating the software could be dangerous. In his letter to customers, Tim Cook has described the tool as "too dangerous to create," potentially undoing years of security work that protects nearly a billion phones. At...
Too dangerous to create -
Apple gets three extra days to decide if it will hack the iPhone for the FBI
Apple has a little more time to respond to the historic order to break security protections on a phone belonging to one of the alleged perpetrators of the San Bernardino attack. When the order was initially handed down Tuesday night, the company was given five days to respond as to whether the order was legally burdensome, but CNN is reporting that the company has been granted a three-day extension, putting the new deadline at Friday, February 26th. Bloomberg had previously reported that an...
How will Apple defend itself? -
Facebook and Twitter join Apple’s side in encryption battle
Both Facebook and Twitter joined the growing number of tech companies defending Apple's decision to fight a court order to help the FBI break into the iPhone 5c used by San Bernardino shooter Syed Farook. 24 hours earlier, it was Google backing up Apple over the government’s overreach — albeit with less decisive language — while WhatsApp co-founder and CEO Jan Koum voiced his support for Apple CEO Tim Cook on Facebook yesterday.
"We will continue to fight aggressively against requirements...
Those demands would create a chilling precedent... -
EFF, ACLU, and Amnesty International voice support for Apple in FBI battle
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), and Amnesty International have come out in support of Apple, after the company said it would contest a judge's order to unlock an iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino shooters.
The FBI has demanded access to an iPhone 5c used by Syed Farook, on the grounds that it could provide information on who Farook and his wife were communicating with prior to killing 14 people in December. Apple has strongly opposed...
A dangerous precedent. -
Microsoft offers tepid support for Apple's battle with FBI
Apple's escalating battle with the FBI over iPhone encryption is gaining support from various technology companies. Google CEO Sundar Pichai chimed in to support Apple yesterday, alongside WhatsApp founder Jan Koum. Now Microsoft is backing a statement made by the Reform Government Surveillance (RGS), of which Microsoft is a founding member:
No statement from Nadella -
Google’s CEO just sided with Apple in the encryption debate
Google CEO Sundar Pichai has chimed in on the escalating battle between the FBI and Apple over iPhone encryption. Describing the letter published by Apple's Tim Cook as "important," Pichai says that a judge's order forcing Apple to assist the FBI in gaining access to the data on a terrorist's iPhone "could be a troubling precedent." Seeing as Google oversees the Android operating system, Pichai is a crucial voice in this debate; Android also offers encryption to safeguard personal data.
"We...
Forcing companies to enable hacking could compromise users’ privacy. -
The FBI’s attack on Apple could force Congress to rule on encryption
A federal court is ordering Apple to break the security of its products by building a backdoor into one of its devices — an iPhone 5C belonging to one of the San Bernardino shooters. The controversial order, which was issued yesterday, marks the start of a brewing legal fight that could culminate in Congressional action on encryption. Until Congress tackles the issue head on, though, the question at hand is how this order is justified and whether it will hold up during the appeals process.
T...
The encryption war is coming to a head -
WhatsApp founder defends Apple in FBI encryption fight
Tim Cook has picked up a new and unexpected supporter in Apple's legal struggle with the FBI: WhatsApp CEO Jan Koum. Sharing Cook's letter in a Facebook post, Koum gave the Apple CEO his full support. "We must not allow this dangerous precedent to be set," Koum wrote. "Today our freedom and our liberty is at stake."
WhatsApp drew praise when it began rolling out strong encryption of WhatsApp messages in 2014, built using the TextSecure protocol. Still, Whatsapp's implementation of the...
Today our freedom and our liberty is at stake. -
The FBI is striking at the heart of Apple’s security system
Twenty years ago, if you had asked a cryptographer how to secure your hard drive, she would have told you to keep it as far as possible from corporations like Apple. Corporations have legal departments and federal contracts, she’d argue, so if the feds want them to do something, eventually they’re going to do it. If the cypherpunks ever agreed on anything, they agreed on that. As long as someone else has control over the software running on your device, you’ll never be safe.
Now, Apple is...
Having amassed all this power, can Apple keep hold of it? -
Donald Trump on Apple encryption battle: 'Who do they think they are?'
The FBI is engaged in a heated battle with Apple, demanding the tech giant unlock the cellphone of one of the San Bernardino shooters. So far, Apple CEO Tim Cook has refused, and he even published an open letter yesterday that called the government's demands to create an OS that circumvents essential security features "chilling."
Cook's letter got the G-Men an unexpected ally in this fight: Donald Trump. "To think that Apple won't allow us to get into her cellphone? Who do they think they...
The Donald has some choice words for Apple -
Apple is facing its biggest test of iPhone security
Apple is facing a big test of its commitment to iPhone security this week. A federal judge ordered Apple to assist the FBI with breaking into an iPhone owned by one of the San Bernardino shooters. It's now a high-profile case in the ongoing encryption debate, and Apple has responded by strongly opposing what CEO Tim Cook describes as a "dangerous" backdoor that could allow law enforcement to bypass the security code on an iPhone.
The case at hand centers on the security code on an iPhone 5C....
FBIos -
Read Apple’s unprecedented letter to customers about security
Apple has spoken a lot over the past year about how much it values the security of its customers' data, but it wasn't until early this morning that Apple really took a stand for it. Hours after a court order came down mandating that Apple assist law enforcement in breaking into a locked iPhone, Apple CEO Tim Cook published a long note on his company's website saying that Apple would oppose the order, which it viewed as "an unprecedented step which threatens the security of our customers."
T...
This moment calls for public discussion. -
Tim Cook: Apple will fight US demands to build an iPhone backdoor
Apple has formally opposed an order from a US judge to help law enforcement break into an iPhone owned by one of the San Bernardino shooters. In a rare open letter published on Apple.com, CEO Tim Cook says the FBI is essentially asking the company to create a backdoor for the iPhone's built-in encryption, something it has refused to do for many years. Cook says that complying with the order would have "implications far beyond the legal case at hand," undermining users' privacy and giving the...
The government is asking Apple to hack our own users -
Judge says Apple must help the FBI break into San Bernardino shooter's iPhone
A federal judge today ordered Apple to assist law enforcement with breaking into the iPhone owned by one of the San Bernardino shooters. According to court papers, Apple has declined to voluntarily provide technical help in accessing the iPhone 5c owned by Syed Farook, who killed 14 people at a health clinic in the California city on December 2nd alongside his wife Tashfeen Malik. That assistance doesn't involve stripping the device of its encryption or handing over the passcode, but does...
The encryption debate just got murkier
