14 DAY TRIAL // Apple’s fight against the FBI over an iPhone allegedly used by San Bernardino attackers is driving more criminals towards Cupertino’s product portfolio, police warns.
Apple has opposed a government ruling to help the FBI break into an iPhone used by terrorists in the San Bernardino attacks, explaining that it violates customer privacy and creates additional risks for users in the United States.
This refusal to collaborate with authorities and the strong encryption that iPhones have are making criminals give up their phones and switch to Apple devices, as they know that police would have a hard time breaking into their handsets should they get caught.
Three law enforcement groups have explained in court documents that throwaway burner phones are no longer being used and that they are aware of several cases where criminals started using iPhones, Reuters reports, adding that in some intercepted phone calls, one inmate described the iPhone as “another gift from God.”
The San Bernardino case
Apple CEO Tim Cook said in a public letter that the FBI is trying to force the company to build a backdoor that could help them break into iPhones, but nobody can guarantee that this custom software solution doesn’t fall in the hand of bad guys too.
Cook went on to emphasize the risks of such applications, explaining that the company has invested in security for many years and it doesn’t make sense now to develop software that could get around these encryption methods.
“For years, cryptologists and national security experts have been warning against weakening encryption. Doing so would hurt only the well-meaning and law-abiding citizens who rely on companies like Apple to protect their data. Criminals and bad actors will still encrypt, using tools that are readily available to them,” Cook said.
The Apple CEO ended by asking the FBI to give up on its demands, calling for discussions with all involved parties in order to seek less dangerous alternatives.