Federal Judge in New York Denies Government Request to Unlock Apple iPhone
BROOKLYN, N.Y. – A federal judge today denied the government’s request to order Apple to unlock an iPhone in a criminal investigation. The government had asked for the order under the All Writs Act, a law that is more than 200 years old. The judge ruled that such an order would go farther than the law allows.
Alex Abdo, staff attorney with the ACLU Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project, had this reaction:
“This is a victory for privacy, security, and common sense. The government should not be able to run to court to get the surveillance power that Congress has deliberately kept from it. The future of digital privacy also hangs in the balance. If the government can force companies to weaken the security of their products, then we all lose.”
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