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CEO Tim Cook says compliance would set a dangerous precedent that risks the privacy and security of customers.
Apple this week refused an order from a U.S. judge to help the FBI access the contents of an iPhone, saying that it sets a dangerous precedent that could jeopardise the privacy and security of its customers.
The iPhone in question was recovered after December’s terror attack in San Bernardino. While the FBI insists that it only wants access to data stored on this particular handset, Apple CEO Tim Cook is not convinced.
"The U.S. government has asked us for something we simply do not have, and something we consider too dangerous to create. They have asked us to build a backdoor to the iPhone," Cook said, in a message to customers published on Apple’s Website on Tuesday.
He said the software that Apple has been asked to build would have the potential to circumvent the security features and unlock anyone’s iPhone.
"While the government may argue that its use would be limited to this case, there is no way to guarantee such control," Cook said.
The order, handed down on Tuesday by judge Sheri Pym in the California Central District Court, invokes the All Writs Act, and requires Apple to assist the FBI in enabling the search of an iPhone 5C by providing technical assistance.
More specifically, the FBI wants Apple to bypass or disable the auto-erase feature, which as the name suggests, erases the contents of the handset if the incorrect password is entered too many times.
Disabling this feature would allow the FBI to try millions of possible passwords – known as a ‘brute-force’ attack – until it gained entry to the device.
"The implications of the government’s demands are chilling. If the government can use the All Writs Act to make it easier to unlock your iPhone, it would have the power to reach into anyone’s device to capture their data," Cook said.
"The government could extend this breach of privacy and demand that Apple build surveillance software to intercept your messages, access your health records or financial data, track your location, or even access your phone’s microphone or camera without your knowledge," he warned. "We believe it would be in the best interest of everyone to step back and consider the implications."
