This article was published on February 20, 2016

Apple deems backdoor unnecessary after FBI screwup


Apple deems backdoor unnecessary after FBI screwup

After the Department of Justice today issued a motion to compel Apple to comply with its request to build software that could prove integral in unlocking the San Bernadino shooter’s iPhone, Apple has responded with a statement.

Within the statement Apple deemed it unnecessary to cooperate in creating the requested software, because it was no longer possible after the phone’s passcode was changed while in FBI custody.

The longer version, according to reporting by BuzzFeed read:

The Apple ID passcode linked to the iPhone belonging to one of the San Bernardino terrorists was changed less than 24 hours after the government took possession of the device, senior Apple executives said Friday. If that hadn’t happened, Apple said, a backup of the information the government was seeking may have been accessible…

The executives said the company had been in regular discussions with the government since early January, and that it proposed four different ways to recover the information the government is interested in without building a back door. One of those methods would have involved connecting the phone to a known wifi network.

In a perfect world, this would be the end of the Apple/FBI standoff, but we all know that this probably isn’t where the saga concludes. We’ll keep you posted.

Apple: Terrorist’s Apple ID Password Changed In Government Custody, Blocking Access [Buzzfeed via 9 to 5 Mac]

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