Apple turns down court order to unlock gunman’s phone

Luxury mobile phone giants Apple has turned down a court order to help FBI investigators to access data on the mobile phone belonging to San Bernandino gunman Syed Rizwan Farook.

Apple seeks to contest a court order to help the FBI circumvent security software on Farook’s iPhone, which it said contained crucial information.

Read also: Apple to cough out $625m to settle lawsuit

Reacting to the issue in a statement, Apple’s chief executive Tim Cook said; “The United States government has demanded that Apple take an unprecedented step which threatens the security of our customers.”

“We oppose this order, which has implications far beyond the legal case at hand.”

Recall that data on the latest Apple devices – such as text messages and photographs – have been encrypted by default since September 2014 meaning that, if a device is locked, the user’s passcode is required to access the data.

On the other hand, entering an incorrect code 10 times will automatically erase the phone’s data, if this option has been enabled.

Even its own staff cannot access the data Apple says – a move the company made following the Edward Snowden revelations into government surveillance.

RipplesNigeria …without borders, without fears

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now