Apple, FBI at odds over security and terrorism

The fight between Apple Inc. and the FBI has just began over whether the FBI should have unprecedented access to iPhones.

The fight began during the investigation of the terrorist shootings carried out by Syed Farook and his wife Tashfeen Malik in San Bernardino, California. The FBI is worried about exhausting the number of times it could gain access to the encrypted phone.

“We have one of those killer’s phones and we still [have] not been able to open [it],” said FBI director, James Comey.

The FBI was granted a court order that is asking Apple to create a software that will allow the bureau to use as many combinations until they can get access to the phone. 

But Apple says developing a software that will allow access into encrypted iPhones would be dangerous and could potentially put its users at risk of government overreach.  

Denver Attorney Bryan Kuhn says this is the first time a private company has been ordered to develop a technology to help a law enforcement agency. The order itself he says is a threat to people’s privacy. 

“I think that there is a great danger, that the technology once Apple developed it, could pose a threat to a lot of people’s privacy,” said Kuhn.

Kuhn added Apple Inc. will likely appeal the court’s order and the issue might eventually be up the Supreme Court to decide.