Apple fights back in court, refusing to hack into iPhone for Federal Bureau of Investigation

“This case is not a case about one isolated iPhone”, Apple said in the filing, reiterating previous comments.

Monday, February 22: Family members of victims in the San Bernardino attacks file papers with the court that supports the magistrate’s order for Apple to unlock the phone for the Federal Bureau of Investigation. In an effort to access the information within, the organization has filed a court order, seeking to force Apple into creating a “back door”, so to speak, into iOS. Apple CEO Tim Cook and a growing body of voices have warned this will be only the first such request.

The FBI wants Apple to help access shooter Syed Rizwan Farook’s iPhone, by disabling pass code protections. “If this order is permitted to stand, it will only be a matter of days before some other prosecutor, in some other important case, before some other judge, seeks a similar order using this case as precedent”.

Earlier in the day FBI Director James Comey told a congressional panel that court approval of the FBI’s request was “unlikely to be a trailblazer” for setting a legal precedent.

By forcing the company to create a “backdoor” into the encrypted iPhone, the government is degrading security features that protect everyday iPhone users’ data and laying a path that makes that data more susceptible to hackers, identity thieves, and unwarranted government surveillance, Apple attorneys argue.

“A Dangerous Precedent”…compelling Apple to create software in this case will set a dangerous precedent for conscripting Apple and other technology companies to develop technology to do the government’s bidding in untold future criminal investigations.

On a call with reporters, an Apple executive said the company didn’t know for sure how long it would take, noting it had never done anything like this before.

Friday, February 19: Leading tech companies, including Facebook, Twitter, Google, among others, join Apple in their fight against the judge’s ruling to unlock the phone.

The FBI has insisted whatever software is necessary to open the phone could remain in Apple’s possession, but the company argued that’s not realistic.

While Apple and the Justice Department battled in federal court, members of Congress were eyeing legislation that would require companies to help law enforcement agencies access electronic devices locked by encryption.

The company cited the First Amendment right to free speech, claiming the FBI’s request is unconstitutional.

But in the filing, Apple revealed it could meet the FBI’s demand by assigning six to 10 engineers, working two to four weeks.