US Justice Dept. tries to force Apple to work with FBI

NEW YORK

The Justice Department on Friday filed a motion to force Apple to work with the FBI to unlock an iPhone believed to contain information about the deadly San Bernardino terror attack.

Court documents said the phone in question may contain communication and data prior to and around the time of the shooting that killed 14 victims in California last December.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Sheri Pym issued an order earlier this week for Apple to provide technical assistance to the FBI's investigation.

But Apple CEO Tim Cook said the tech giant would refuse to comply with the request to build a backdoor and use it to hack the iPhone, citing users’ privacy protections.

Other tech industry leaders, including Facebook and Twitter, have rallied around Cook in his stance not to comply with the court order.

“Apple's current refusal to comply with the court's order, despite the technical feasibility of doing so, instead appears to be based on its concern for its business model and public brand marketing strategy," according to the motion. It also dismissed Apple's claims, saying "the order does not require Apple to create a backdoor ... to hack [its] own users ... and it does not give the government the power to reach into anyone's device without a warrant or court authorization ... and allows Apple to retain custody of its software at all times".

The phone under scrutiny is believed to have belonged to Syed Rizwan Farook, one of the deceased suspect in the San Bernardino attack.

The phone is owned by Farook's former employer, the San Bernardino County Department of Public Health.

The agency has given permission to investigators to hack the device.

The head of the FBI told lawmakers last week that the 10-digit-code of the phone in question could not be decrypted.

Apple has until Feb. 26 to formally file its opposition to the original court order. A hearing is scheduled for March in California.

Meanwhile, Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump has demanded a boycott of Apple products.