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[h=4]Apple vs. USA — what happened?[/h]What's next in the heated battle between Apple and the U.S. government over hacking into an iPhone that had been in the hands of one of the San Bernardino killers.
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Should the government be able to open a "back door," to smartphones in the name of national security? Consumers sound off in Venice Beach, California.
File photo taken in 2015 shows the Apple logo displayed on an iPhone 6 in San Francisco, California.(Photo: Justin Sullivan, Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES — You know the government wants Apple to unlock a phone used by a terrorist in the San Bernardino massacre and is going to extraordinary measures to get the company to respond accordingly.
Apple has loudly refused, which raises the question:<span style="color: Red;">*</span>what’s next and what happened here?
Let’s start with what’s next.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Apple has to respond to a court order by Friday that demands the company<span style="color: Red;">*</span>find a way to unlock the iPhone 5C used in the massacre.
On March 22nd, the government and Apple are due to appear in a Riverside court for a hearing on the issue. Riverside is about an hour east<span style="color: Red;">*</span>of Los Angeles.
What happened this week?
--It started Tuesday, when the FBI got a court order demanding Apple create software for a “back door,” that would allow the government to get into the encrypted iPhone. The phone is locked with a passcode, and programmed to erase data after too many unsuccessful tries. The FBI wasn’t willing to risk that happening, so it turned to Apple for a fix.
--After refusing the court order, Apple CEO Tim Cook published an 1,100 word response on Apple’s website, calling the request “chilling,” and “an unprecedented step which threatens the security of our customers. We oppose this order, which has implications far beyond the legal case at hand,” he wrote.
--Later in the week, rivals Google, Facebook and Twitter chimed in, supporting Apple. Microsoft's chief legal officer tweeted support.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Amazon has yet to comment. An exclusive poll for USA TODAY by SurveyMonkey showed the public siding with the government, with 51% of 1,093 people polled supporting the FBI.
--On Friday, the Department of Justice escalated the battle, with a filing that attempted to force Apple to comply with the FBI request.
“Apple’s current refusal to comply with the court’s order, despite the technical feasibility of doing so, instead appears to be based on its concern for its business model and public brand marketing strategy,” the department said.
Later in the day, Apple spoke to reporters, and said the Apple ID on the phone had been changed less than 24 hours after government took possession of the device. Had that not happened, a backup of information the government was seeking may have been possible. Apple also said it had been working with the government since the initial requests came in, recommending four different ways to recover the data without building the backdoor.
USA TODAY
iPhone ID passcode changed in government possession
This week, rallies are scheduled in 30 cities outside Apple stores by consumers supporting the company. And surely more politicians will call for Apple to find a compromise with officials.
Experts expect the case to go all the way to the Supreme Court.
USA TODAY
What does it mean that a phone is encrypted?
Follow USA TODAY tech columnist Jefferson Graham, @jeffersongraham
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