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Apple To FBI: Encryption Rules Out Handing Over iMessage Data In Real Time

Posted by timothy on from the oh-did-you-want-that? dept.

Mark Wilson writes that Apple has balked at a court order to provide the FBI with the contents of text messages among users of its iMessage service, claiming that the encryption it uses to protect these messages makes handing over the messages themselves impossible. From the article: The Justice Department obtained a court order that required Apple to provide real time access to text messages sent between suspects in an investigation involving guns and drugs. Apple has responded by saying that the fact iMessage is encrypted means that it is simply not able to comply with the order. The stand-off between the US government and Apple could last for some time as neither side is willing — or possibly able — to back down.

4 of 306 comments (clear)

  1. You could also swap out receiver's key... by xxxJonBoyxxx · · Score: 4, Informative

    Also, "Black-box" testing uncovers several ways the NSA could tap iMessage (from 2013)
    http://arstechnica.com/securit...

  2. Re:So, the FBI doesn't need to ask for Android? by Solandri · · Score: 5, Informative

    Android uses regular SMS for texts, which was never encrypted on any OS. The FBI would be asking the carriers for copies of those, unless it's over the Google Hangouts app using a Google Voice number, in which case they'd have to ask Google.

    Apple runs the iPhone texts over their own iMessage service, which has a gateway to SMS for messages sent to non-iPhone users. (Which is also a problem since if you used to have an iPhone but switched to any other phone, Apple keeps iMessage texts sent to you within iMessage and blackholes them to a non-existant iPhone, instead of forwarding them over the SMS gateway to your new phone. Part of their user lock-in strategy. They're actually fighting in court for the right to keep doing this, instead of not being dicks and fixing it.)

  3. Re:Well, they COULD also encrypt for the FBI... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    He is serious, and stop calling him Shirley

  4. Re:Why not ... by cayenne8 · · Score: 4, Informative

    Ah, the "since conspiracies have happened before, that proves it is happening now" fallacy that conspiracy followers like to spout.

    Well, at the very least, if it has happened before or at least been planned and suggested before ...then it should be considered that they might suggest something might could indeed happen.

    It always pays to ask questions and be vigilant.

    --
    Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........