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Today is the deadline for Apple to respond to a judicial order to unlock the iPhone that belonged to San Bernardino shooter Syed Rizwan Farook. The federal government has also asked for the company’s help in unlocking nine additional phones.
But Apple has refused to comply—on Thursday, it filed a formal opposition to the federal court order. As the standoff between the tech giant and the FBI continues, and the presidential candidates are weighing in.
“Apple should be forced to comply with this court order Why? Because of the Fourth Amendment,” Texas Senator Ted Cruz said at Thursday’s GOP debate. “A search and seizure is reasonable if it has judicial authorization and probable cause. In this instance, the order is not ‘put a back door in everyone’s cell phone.’ If that was the order, that order would be problematic because it would compromise security and safety for everyone.”
When it comes to unlocking Farook’s phone, Apple’s cooperation is essential, FBI Director James Comey told the House of Representatives yesterday.
“Law enforcement, which I’m part of, really does save people’s lives—rescue kids, rescue neighborhoods from terrorists—and we do that a whole lot through court orders that are search warrants, and we do that a whole lot through search warrants of mobile devices,” Comey testified.
Apple is now said to be working on a new software to ensure the security of their phones.
“This case is not about one phone,” Apple CEO Tim Cook said Wednesday. “This case is about the future. What is at stake here is can the government compel Apple to write software that we believe would make millions of customers vulnerable around the world, including the U.S.?”
From 2003 to 2005, Nuala O’Connor was the chief privacy officer for the Department of Homeland of Security. She’s currently the president and CEO of the Office of the Center for Democracy and Technology, a nonprofit focused on advancing a free and open internet.
O’Connor tells The Takeaway where the Apple-FBI fight goes from here, and discusses the broader issues of privacy and security in the United States.
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