Sorry Judge. No Password. No Access.
Apple Tells U.S. Judge ‘Impossible’ to Unlock iPhones Using its Latest Operating System.
In a recent article written by Federal Court Correspondent Nate Raymond of Thompson Reuters, Apple Inc. responded to a U.S. Judge after orders were made by the U.S. Justice Department that would force the company to unlock an iPhone seized during an investigation. Apple stated that it is “impossible” to unlock their phones due to recent upgrades made by iOS 8 and higher operating systems but that they did have the “technical ability” to help law enforcement with older phones.
After 2014, Apple made it so that anyone without the device’s passcode could not obtain the data inside, including Apple. The tech giant integrated this new feature into their phones amid heightened privacy concerns following leaks by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden concerning NSA surveillance programs. Apple pleaded with the Judge to not force them to comply with the U.S. Justice Department’s order because it could compromise the trust established between the company and its customers.
Apple has the responsibility to prove to the Judge that disabling the security and accessing the data on the iPhone is “technically not feasible” or “unduly burdensome”. U.S. Magistrate Judge James Orenstein has deferred the ruling until Apple has a chance to address these “unfeasible” and “burdensome” techniques required to unlock their iPhones.
