US would let Apple keep software to help FBI hack iPhone
From phys.org:
The Obama administration told a U.S. magistrate judge on Friday it would be willing to allow Apple Inc. to retain possession of and later destroy specialized software it has been ordered to design to help the FBI hack into an encrypted iPhone used by the gunman in December's mass shootings in California.
The government made clear that it was open to less intrusive options in a new legal filing intended to blunt public criticism by Apple's chief executive, Tim Cook, who said the software would be "too dangerous to create" because it would threaten the digital privacy of millions of iPhone customers worldwide.
"Apple may maintain custody of the software, destroy it after its purpose under the order has been served, refuse to disseminate it outside of Apple and make clear to the world that it does not apply to other devices or users without lawful court orders," the Justice Department told Judge Sheri Pym. "No one outside Apple would have access to the software required by the order unless Apple itself chose to share it."
Meanwhile, the legal fight continued to reverberate on the presidential campaign trail as Republican candidate Donald Trump called on Americans to boycott Apple until it complies with the court order.
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It still leaves open the question, if they do it for the US government in a legitimate case of terrorism, can other governments force them to do it under different, less compelling, circumstances?
brer cat
(24,625 posts)However it does seem to me that there should be a way to help the investigation without opening a huge can of worms. Farook is clearly guilty, and it is not unreasonable (imo) for the FBI to search his communications. Seems like there is a compromise position somewhere.
LiberalArkie
(15,730 posts)it for some reason. It was this action that made it almost impossible to get into it. If the owner of the phone knew the password to get into iCloud, then they could get into the phone.
Why did they do that? I would be looking at the person who changed the damn AppleID/iCloud password.
IDemo
(16,926 posts)Is that the precedent has been established that a company (or individual) can be forced under court order to craft software for the sole purpose of undoing a product's established security features. That this will become a common demand goes without saying. Tim Cook said something to the effect: "If we do this at 8:00am today, another request will be here by 10:00am".
Ford_Prefect
(7,925 posts)Its called a slippery slope...