The Department of Justice has been disgusted with Apple Inc.'s privacy policy and the company's encryption built into its mobile operating system. It dragged the Cupertino-based firm to court, and has countered its initial reasons for staying neutral amidst its decline to give law enforcers keys to the iOS backdoor and with an evidence on the line, reported Tech Times.
The feds want to access an iPhone 5s of a man, a drug case defendant facing accusations of possessing and distributing meth. Apple declined to hand over iOS keys stating that any backdoor access will create vulnerabilities.
The department got stuck on the lock screen, and reached out for Apple's help, asking if assisting with the encrypted phone is "unduly burdensome," which iOS owner said it will really be. Apple Inc., steadfast of its privacy policy, said it might "tarnish the Apple brand" if the government is given special access to iOS.
However, the court brief said, sans Apple's help, "the government cannot access that evidence without risking its destruction." DOJ reasoned that the tech titan previously helped federal cases by retrieving requested info and passed it to law enforcers.
"Apple wrote and owns the software that runs the phone, and this software is thwarting the execution of the warrant," the DOJ said. "Apple's software licensing agreement specifies that iOS 7 software is 'licensed, not sold' and that users are merely granted 'a limited non-exclusive license to use the iOS Software.'"
The department then questioned Apple's legal protection as a software licensor.
"Apple cannot reap the legal benefits of licensing its software in this manner and then later disclaim any ownership or obligation to assist law enforcement when that same software plays a critical role in thwarting execution of a search warrant," it added.
According to the Market Business, it means, "it's your software Apple, not the defendant's, unlock it."
Apple Inc. CEO Tim Cook has been crusading about their privacy policy , saying, "people have a, 'fundamental right to privacy." He likewise insisted that the government has no access into their servers.
