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             US, Apple Spar Over Unlocking Phone in Terrorism Probe

   by VOA News

   The U.S. Justice Department and technology giant Apple sparred Tuesday
   over the government's demand that Apple unlock an iPhone used by one of
   the San Bernardino, California terrorists who killed 14 people to see
   who he might have talked to about the attack.

   In prepared testimony for a congressional hearing, James Comey, the
   director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the country's top law
   enforcement agency, warned that technological advancements to keep
   phone information secret can also block investigators from collecting
   key evidence in criminal and terrorism cases.

   Apple's chief lawyer, Bruce Sewell, said the government's demand that
   it unlock the phone used by Syed Rizwan Farook "would set a dangerous
   precedent for government intrusion" into the lives of people.

   Sewell said that building the software needed to get into Farook's
   phone "would not affect just one iPhone. It would weaken the security
   for all of them....We can all agree this is not about access to just
   one iPhone."

   A magistrate judge in California ordered Apple to comply with the
   demand, but the outcome is uncertain pending the company's appeal. The
   hearing before the House Judiciary Committee came as Apple won a case
   on government-ordered phone intrusion on Monday that is similar to the
   Farook case.

   In New York, a different magistrate judge ruled that the Justice
   Department cannot force Apple to unlock the iPhone of a suspected drug
   dealer.

   Judge James Orenstein said the government's demand "is unavailable
   because Congress has considered legislation that would achieve the same
   result but has not adopted it."

   A Justice Department spokesman expressed disappointment in the New York
   ruling and said the department plans to appeal.

   In the Farook case, the FBI wants to check his phone to see if the
   American-born Muslim was in contact with others about the early
   December attack he carried out with his Pakistani-born wife, Tashfeen
   Malik. Both were killed hours later in a shootout with police.

   If the California judge's order is upheld, U.S. law enforcement
   officials say they will ask the company to unlock other Apple devices
   involved in criminal investigations.

   One survey in the United States showed that a majority of Americans
   favors the government's position in the dispute.

   Some material for this report came from AP and AFP.
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   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/us-apple-spar-over-unlocking-phone-in
   -terrorism-probe/3214993.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/us-apple-spar-over-unlocking-phone-in-terrorism-probe/3214993.html