WASHINGTON (AP) — The FBI says it successfully used a mysterious technique without Apple’s help to break into an iPhone linked to the gunman in a California mass shooting.
The surprise development effectively ends a pitched court battle between Apple and the Obama administration.
The government told a federal court Monday without any details that it accessed data on gunman Syed Farook’s iPhone and no longer requires Apple’s assistance. Farook and his wife died in a gun battle with police after killing 14 people in San Bernardino, California, in December.
Apple did not immediately comment on the development.
A U.S. magistrate last month ordered Apple to provide the FBI with software to help it hack into Farook’s work-issued iPhone. The order touched off a debate pitting digital privacy rights against national security concerns.
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Well
The aftermath should be funny as hell.
Yea, we wanted to set it up so that we could demand the 1000s of others but what the hell the FBI agent in charge left the phone out on the kitchen table and his 5 yo niece opened it…fuck…
Well, this was mis-played by Apple. Gone is the notion that hacking their magic phones is impossible by mortal man. And “government workers” ha… aren’t they supposed to be low bid? I’m glad.
I wonder if that’s the compete story…or did Apple assist the FBI off the record?
Made the lawsuit go away and everyone gets what they want.
I heard Richard Clark the former NSA official in The Bush,and Clinton Administrations say on NPR that the FBI knew how to break in to the phone all along but was trying to set a legal precedent for future cases. If so it’s pretty amazing how deceptive they where being about what was really going on.