Monday, 28 March 2016

After Unlocking iPhone On Its Own, Government Drops Effort To Compel Apple’s Help

Last week, it was reported that the FBI had figured out how to unlock the iPhone belonging to one of the shooters who killed 14 people in San Bernardino, CA, on Dec. 2, 2015. Now, it’s official, as the government has dropped its attempt to compel Apple to aid the FBI in bypassing the device’s security — but this is just the first of likely many fights over this issue.

This morning, the Department of Justice filed a status report [PDF] with the U.S. District Court that had first ordered Apple to assist the FBI, disclosing that the agency’s efforts to unlock the iPhone belonging to Syed Farook had been fruitful.

“The government has now successfully accessed the data stored on Farook’s iPhone and therefore no longer requires the assistance from Apple Inc.,” reads the report.

And so, with no need for Apple to pitch in, the court granted the DOJ’s request to vacate the order.

More to come.


by Chris Morran via Consumerist

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