Apple is now locked in a controversial battle to avoid building a custom tool that would help the Federal Bureau of Investigation break into the iPhone 5c belonging to one of the gunmen behind last year’s mass shooting in San Bernardino.
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Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey tweeted a brief statement of support for Cook, and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the social-network company was “sympathetic” to Apple. The news follows a statement made by Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates earlier this week, who said he was “disappointed” that media outlets felt he supports the government in its dispute against Apple, which isn’t entirely true.
A Twitter spokesperson also confirmed to NBC News that that company expects “to be on a brief supporting Apple”, but declined to say whether that filing would be alone or in conjunction with other companies.
Tech giants Facebook and Google-parent Alphabet are expected present a united front with Microsoft, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
Apple filed its formal objection in the case Thursday. “We think it’s bad news to write”.
Apple filed its motion to vacate on Thursday.
That law, the All Writs Act of 1789, has been used by prosecutors to obtain court orders to enforce search warrants where there’s a legal vacuum.
Each has to file its brief to the court by March 3.
“The US government wants us to trust that it won’t misuse this power”, the EFF said in a public announcement. “Even if you trust the US government, once this master key is created, governments around the world will surely demand that Apple undermine the security of their citizens as well”.
The FBI’s director defended the agency’s request that Apple help crack the shooter’s iPhone, saying investigators wouldn’t be able to look survivors in their eyes if the FBI didn’t pursue the lead.
“We do not believe that courts should seek to resolve issues of 21st century technology with a law that was written in the era of the adding machine”, said Smith, according to the Seattle Times. “The government’s come asking for a specific set of information”.
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Cook said that Apple believes that the FBI’s intentions are good, but it would be wrong for the government to force the company to build this new operating system. “And we need these laws to be written by Congress. We, therefore, agree wholeheartedly with Apple that the right place to bring this discussion is here, to the House of Representatives and the Senate so the people who are elected by the people can make these decisions”.
