New York iPhone case also expires
The New York prosecutor has told the judge that the government no longer needs Apple’s help to decrypt a drug dealer’s iPhone 5s. According to a spokesperson, an anonymous party has provided the correct code to the authorities.
The US Department of Justice has announced in a short letter that it is withdrawing the application for Apple’s aid. Previously, authorities were of the opinion that they could only access the data on the smartphone with the help of Apple. According to sources from The Wall Street Journal, the drug dealer in question supplied the unlock code for the phone.
The New York drug dealer’s phone case started before the San Bernadino shooter’s iPhone. In essence, the same argument is used to convince the judge that Apple should cooperate in the case. The Public Prosecution Service argues that the company is obliged to provide its assistance under the ‘All Writs Act’ from the 18th century. That text states that courts are free to request assistance from third parties as long as it is in the service of law enforcement.
The fact that the prosecutor has now dropped the application means that it is the second time in a short time that a precedent has not been set. Earlier, in late March, the FBI said it was also dropping the case against Apple for its assistance in the San Bernadino case. The FBI was unable to access the shooter’s iPhone 5c and said it needed Apple’s help. The case was terminated early because the FBI received help from a third party and no longer needed Apple. The Justice Department spokesman said on Friday that the case “has never set a precedent.” That writes Reuters, among others.
Apple and other major tech companies are vehemently against implementing a backdoor for authorities to use in such investigations. If Apple rewrites its source code to open up one device to, say, the FBI or the New York State Attorney, that same source code can be used by that or other parties to decrypt countless other smartphones worldwide with ease. Apple has repeatedly promised to defend itself tooth and nail in court.