The FBI has indicated that it may have discovered an alternative to access photos and messages saved on the phone Rizwan Syed Farook, the US responsible for the attack in the county of San Bernardino, California. A few hours of the first session of court in the case opposing the Justice Department to Apple, the federal police revealed that, after all, may not need the collaboration of the technology giant.
“A external entity showed the FBI a possible method to unlock the iPhone Farook. Now you need to determine whether it is a viable method, “the lawyers wrote in a document submitted to the court.
For this Tuesday was scheduled an audience at the Riverside court in California, but the session was postponed before this new development that promises to shake up the battle in the uS courts that opposes Apple to federal police and agents of uS intelligence services.
The US Department of Justice claimed that Apple only had the technical means to unlock the iPhone used by Syed Farook, but now admits that there may be another solution. “Our priority has always been to have access to the mobile phone used by the terrorist in San Bernardino,” said a spokesman for the Department of Justice, Melanie Newman, quoted by Washington Post . “With this in mind, the FBI continued its efforts to gain access to the phone, even without the cooperation of Apple for a period of one month dispute with the company.”
Newman said FBI will test this new method to ensure that mobile data is not destroyed. “We remain cautiously optimistic. If the function solution will allow us to investigate the phone and continue the investigation into the terrorist who killed 14 people and left 22 injured. “
The federal government asked in court that Apple create a software special (a version of its operating system) to turn off some security features, including one in which the clean phone all you have saved a wrong unlocking code is entered ten times.
the announcement that there may be an alternative method is to question the way the FBI is trying to fight this battle in the courts. “This suggests that the FBI or does not understand well enough technology or not told the truth when he said earlier that only Apple could unlock the phone,” said Alex Abdo of the American Union lawyer for Civil Liberties, which has supported Apple this case.
the Department of Justice now has until April 5 to determine whether or not to proceed with the case.
at a press conference, Apple’s lawyers said do not see the cancellation of the hearing as a victory, because the situation can return to the beginning in two weeks, and because the underlying problem remains.
Regardless of this new FBI method works or not, Apple ensures that it will not back down. “We believe we have a responsibility to protect your data and your privacy. We will not dismiss this responsibility, “said the company’s CEO, Tim Cook, the presentation of the new iPhone SE.
More than unlock an iPhone After
a month in various legal theories and accusations one comes to the conclusion that the main issue of this case turns out to refer to the law All Writs act – a law passed in 1789 which states that the courts may act to enforce orders not provided for in current legislation.
the FBI says that by invoking this law, Apple is obliged to create software custom to circumvent security Farook iPhone. In turn, the company argues that this law is not valid, since it violates constitutional rights, and that a decision in favor of the government would set a precedent that could weaken the device’s security and privacy of its users.
the confrontation between Apple and FBI goes beyond the intention of unlocking an iPhone. What is at stake is the possibility of the courts establish a precedent that allows to give legal cover to federal authorities when asked to technology companies that comply with your requests.
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