Apple Is About to Face Off With the FBI Again
Apple famously faced off against the FBI earlier this year over the issue of unlocking the San Bernardino shooter’s iPhone. This time, the perpetrator was Dahir Adan, employee of a private security company. Adan reportedly stabbed 10 people at a Minnesota mall last month. The FBI wants to unlock his phone to see if they can determine motives and whether Adan was connected to ISIS.
Last time, Apple refused to unlock the iPhone for the FBI, with Tim Cook defending one of our most important possessions: privacy. Since it’s unclear which iPhone model the FBI is facing this time, they may just use the same solution they used on the last phone (purchasing a third-party software to unlock the phone). But if it’s one of the newer models, they may have to ask for help — and likely get shot down again — from Apple.
According to the folks over at The Verge, the FBI is currently “assessing [their] legal and technical options to gain access to this device and the data it may contain.” We’re not sure which would be worse: if Apple decided to comply this time, or if the FBI found some other way to hack into the iPhone, something previously thought impossible.
Either way, we figure as long as we stay out of trouble, our embarrassing text messages are safe!
What do you think the solution is? Tweet us @BritandCo!
(h/t The Verge; photos via Andrew Burton/Getty)