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01st Mar 2016

Apple Have Just Won A Massive Court Case Against The FBI

This is a big victory for the privacy of Apple customers

Ellen Tannam

Just a few days ago, Apple CEO Tim Cook said that the company would not follow the orders of a judge to create a way to break into a locked iPhone that belonged to one of the San Bernardino shooters in order for the FBI to access it.

Cook maintained that if they created a back door key for this particular iPhone, it would have negative implications for the privacy of all Apple consumers. The company’s worry is that once one iPhone can be unlocked in this way, all others will potentially be able to be unlocked, risking leaks of personal information.

The company has now won a massive victory for their side in a New York courthouse.

Tech Insider reports: “Magistrate Judge James Orenstein ruled on Monday that the government could not force Apple to help it unlock an iPhone belonging to Jun Feng, a suspected drug dealer.”

Due to the verdict in this separate case going against the government, it could also help in the San Bernardino case regarding the iPhone that belonged to shooter Syed Farook.

However, if Apple is unsuccessful, they may have hundreds of iPhones to decrypt in order to access evidence in other criminal cases.

The company has representatives in Washington today who will testify at a Congressional hearing.