Back again to Apple and access to a dead person's iPhone. A federal court magistrate yesterday ordered Apple to create software to access the work iPhone of one of the San Bernardino terrorists. The government wants access to the iPhone so they know who the terrorist was calling and texting. Apple's Tim Cook has said it will oppose the order.
Many points and additional facts:
1. With iOs 8, an iPhone is fully encrypted and Apple is no longer able to access the contents of the phone without the lock screen pass code.
2. The terrorist set up his phone to wipe itself clean (that is without a cloth, Hillary) after 10 unsuccessful tries.
3. The terrorist destroyed his and his wife's personal iPhones and removed his computer hard drive before massacring his co-workers. It is unlikely that there is anything valuable on the work iPhone.
4. The presiding magistrate in this matter is a former prosecutor so she would be inclined to grant the wish of law enforcement.
5. Apple is concerned that it could always be ordered to provide software to access someone's iPhone, no matter how trivial the matter.
6. How many world problems could be solved if magistrates simply ordered tech companies to develop software that the magistrate deemed necessary, regardless of whether the software is technologically feasible or not?
7. It is ironic that the government is relying on a 225 year old law (older by a few years than Bernie Sanders) named the All Writs Act of 1789 to deal with a 21st century encrypted computer.
8. Apparently the NSA is not collecting as much data about us as we fear if the government needs to see the phone to see who the terrorist was calling and texting. Or perhaps the FBI has simply not contacted the NSA yet.
