Bloomberg reports this evening that Apple is getting an extension on its Tuesday deadline to make a decision and respond to the court order asking them to aid the government in retrieving data off of an iPhone 5c used by one of the gunmen involved in the fatal San Bernardino shootings last December. Apple now has until February 26th to respond to the request in court.
Following the order from the court, Apple CEO Tim Cook replied with an open-letter saying that the request is an “unprecedented step which threatens the security of our customers.” With Cook being so vocal on the topic so quickly after the initial order, it’s hard to imagine Apple giving in the FBI’s request.
Originally, the company had 5 days to reply, making this coming Tuesday its deadline.
No matter what happens surrounding this issue, it will likely set a major precedent moving forward when it comes to user privacy versus national security. We’ve covered the topic in detail and you can view all of our coverage at the links below:
- U.S. judge orders Apple to help FBI access data on San Bernardino gunman’s iPhone 5c
- Apple publishes letter responding to FBI iPhone unlock demand: ‘an unprecedented step which threatens the security of our customers’
- Google CEO Pichai appears to side with Apple in series of vague tweets on FBI encryption battle
- Security firm shows how Apple could bypass iPhone security to comply with FBI request
- Opinion: How likely is Apple to succeed in resisting the FBI court order?
- Should Apple comply with FBI request to bypass San Bernardino gunman’s iPhone? [Poll]
- Civil rights groups and tech companies express support for Apple’s stand against the FBI
- Opinion: Why an iPhone master key is better than a backdoor, but still too dangerous
- Petition urges White House to support Apple in blocking government access to locked iPhones
- Senate Intelligence Committee considering bill to penalize companies refusing to decrypt user devices
