Firm asked to extract data from iPhone involved in drug case

Apr 8, 2016 22:26 GMT  ·  By

The FBI managed to break into the San Bernardino iPhone with assistance coming from a third-party, but when it comes to an iPhone involved in a drug case in New York, the bureau still needs Apple’s help to hack the device.

And it appears that the FBI is ready to do whatever it takes to force Apple to extract information from the phone, so the US Attorney’s office has recently notified a Brooklyn judge that an official request to the company would be made to unlock a device that might contain information on a drug case.

A report by re/code reveals that the FBI doesn’t say it specifically that it wants Apple to hack the iPhone, but to extract data stored on it by any necessary means. This is another way of saying that the device needs to be hacked though, as any protection system that might be used on the phone would have to be cracked before the information can be accessed.

San Bernardino hack not working

FBI officials have already explained that the San Bernardino hack only works on iPhone 5C and not on newer devices, and this is one of the reasons the bureau is now seeking Apple assistance in this case. Otherwise, it would have hacked the device on its own, it seems.

“As the FBI Director recently indicated, the mechanism used in the San Bernardino case can only be used on a narrow category of phones. In this case, we still need Apple’s help in accessing the data, which they have done with little effort in at least 70 other cases when presented with court orders for comparable phones running iOS 7 or earlier operating systems,” Emily Pierce, a spokesperson for the Justice Department, was quoted as saying.

At this point, Apple hasn’t yet issued a statement to comment on FBI’s requests, but if the company indeed has to hack the device to access information stored on it, expect the company to say no, just like it did in the San Bernardino case.

Apple usually collaborates with law enforcement agencies and extracts information from iCloud backups or unprotected devices, but when hacking is involved, Apple is always ready to fight the government in court.