For Apple, a court battle with the FBI was a 'betting company' decision

by Rishi Deep

Tim Cook's biographer ' Stoke Cook: The Genius Who Took Apple to the Next Level ' is the genius who led Apple to the next level. It will be released on April 16, 2019. In this biography, there is a section that mentions the court struggle between Apple and the FBI, and the excerpts excerpted by TechCrunch of the foreign media have been published prior to the publication of the book.

New book looks inside Apple's legal fight with the FBI | TechCrunch
https://techcrunch.com/2019/04/01/inside-apple-fbi/

In an investigation of the San Bernardi gunshot , which took place in California in the United States in December 2015, the FBI required Apple to unlock the device to find out the iPhones owned by the culprit. However, if Apple develops a tool to unlock the iPhone for the US government, the government is 'like getting a master key that can easily access millions of terminals', which is Apple criticized the government's demand for nothing more than an act of building and breaking security credibility.

Apple rejects government request to 'make backdoor that can avoid encryption of iPhone'-GIGAZINE

Since then, Apple and the FBI have been in fierce exchanges, but finally the court struggle has ended as the FBI has asked a third party other than Apple to unlock the device.

iPhone can be unlocked independently without relying on Apple, court struggle to be closed-GIGAZINE

About these events, about three years ago, in the book, Apple's former general counsel, Brian Siewell, says that Cook has 'betted the company' on the decision to counter the FBI's request. Shewell also explained that the FBI's requirements have become a turning point in 'every activity' since then. The FBI has requested a court order, and it was based on the vague law called ' All Writs Act '. The FBI used the All Writs Act to demand 'something not covered by the law.'

According to Seawell, the FBI was requesting 'access to a smartphone' at the stage of iOS 8 that Apple released in 2014. However, after asking Apple for technical assistance to gain access to data stored on the confiscated iPhone, the Justice Department said that it is 'impossible' to unlock the latest iPhone. According to Leander Kahney, Cook's biographer, who answers, this has been one of the biggest drivers of pressure on Apple.

Even 'Apple can not be unlocked by Apple', it is revealed that data in the terminal can not be accessed unless the pass code is known-GIGAZINE

'We had a feeling that this was the worst for the FBI,' said Mr. Sewell.

When Apple grabbed FBI's request, it was said that public opinion was divided, and Apple did not give up on rejecting the unlock request after understanding it. After developing into a court battle with the FBI, a situation room was established 24 hours a day, 365 days a year on the executive floor of Apple's head office for about two months, and it seems that measures have continued to be implemented.

After that, the court struggle is resolved by the FBI having a third party unlock the iPhone. However, the FBI is said to have paid hackers over $ 100 million to unlock it.

FBI turns out to have paid over 100 million dollars to hackers for iPhone unlock-GIGAZINE

According to Seawell, Cook said he was 'disappointed' for not being able to sue the government directly.