Scalper1 News
Apple said Friday the Justice Department has “utterly failed” to show that it needs the tech giant’s help to access a locked iPhone in a Brooklyn federal drug case, reflecting a broader push by major tech companies including Microsoft ( MSFT ) and Facebook ( FB ) challenging the government over privacy. Apple, in a court filing with a federal district judge, said authorities haven’t exhausted all efforts to unlock the iPhone in question. Apple also challenged the government’s “sweeping interpretation of the All Writs Act,” a law passed in 1789. The DOJ noted that Apple has previously complied with “All Writs” requests. The DOJ recently dropped efforts to force Apple to unlock an iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino terrorists, after a third party unlocked that smartphone. Justice says that method won’t work with the Brooklyn iPhone. While Apple is playing defense, Microsoft and Facebook’s WhatsApp are playing office. Earlier in the week, Microsoft sued the government, arguing that the Electronic Communications Privacy Act that forces it to comply with government data customers without telling its customers violates their Fourth Amendment constitutional protections against unlawful search and seizures. It also violates Microsoft’s free speech rights, the company said. Facebook messaging unit WhatsApp adopted end-to-end encryption this month for its more-than one billion users. That means WhatsApp couldn’t help the government crack your messages even if it wanted to. “No one can see inside that message. Not cybercriminals. Not hackers. Not oppressive regimes. Not even us,” WhatsApp founders Brian Acton and Jan Koum said in a blog post announcing the move. Tech companies may be standing on principle, but it helps that customers wants companies to show that they will fiercely protect their privacy. And tech companies have yet to pay a political or commercial prices for standing up to Big Brother — at least in the U.S. But the political and legal fight is by no means over. The U.S. government has a week to respond to Apple’s Friday filing. On Tuesday, Apple’s general counsel will testify at a congressional hearing on encryption, along with FBI and New York policy officials. Scalper1 News
Scalper1 News