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US Says It Would Use 'Court System' Again To Defeat Encryption (arstechnica.com)

An anonymous reader shares an Ars Technica report: U.S. government officials from the FBI director down have said repeatedly that the FBI-Apple legal brouhaha was just about a single phone -- the seized iPhone used by Syed Farook, one of the San Bernardino shooters. And just last week, James Comey, the FBI director, said his fight with Apple wasn't about setting precedent; rather, it was about battling terrorism. But it seems that the storyline has changed. The Justice Department now says it will not hesitate to invoke the precedent it won in its iPhone unlocking case. Having won the court and technological battle a triumphant Department of Justice warned late Monday that its legal battle for what many say amounts to judicially ordered encryption backdoors has only just begun. "It remains a priority for the government to ensure that law enforcement can obtain crucial digital information to protect national security and public safety, either with cooperation from relevant parties, or through the court system when cooperation fails," Melanie Newman, a Justice Department spokesman, wrote in an e-mail to Ars. "We will continue to pursue all available options for this mission, including seeking the cooperation of manufacturers and relying upon the creativity of both the public and private sectors."

232 comments

  1. Dont worry were woring on it. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    No one can defeat it that is all you are pushing people to One can be made that in 10,000 years you still wont get in.

    1. Re:Dont worry were woring on it. by Farmer+Tim · · Score: 4, Funny

      Not sure if a word in your subject line is missing a "k" or an "h"...

      --
      Blank until /. makes another boneheaded UI decision.
  2. US justice system turns out to have lied by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    news at 11

    1. Re:US justice system turns out to have lied by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      US Justice system uses courts in public display of following rules, public shocked

  3. I think you missed a few letters there by phorm · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Add the letters "ab" to the front of "use" and you'll get a better idea of what the FBI appears to want to do with the courts in this case...

    1. Re:I think you missed a few letters there by fustakrakich · · Score: 0

      Abby something...

      --
      “He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
    2. Re:I think you missed a few letters there by Archangel+Michael · · Score: 0

      Abby Normal?

      --
      Agent K: A *person* is smart. People are dumb, stupid, panicky animals, and you know it.
    3. Re:I think you missed a few letters there by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Abby ... normal

    4. Re:I think you missed a few letters there by Frosty+Piss · · Score: 5, Insightful

      "Abuse" perhaps. But more than that, DELUSION . In reality the FBI has won no precedent, and in fact backed out because the precedent was going to go against them.

      These platitudes and pontifications are nothing more than "PR" from the FBI that knows very well they would have lost in a specular way that would have negatively colored EVERY SINGLE "next" case.

      Fact is, the FBI whimpered away with their tail between their legs and is trying to make the best of it.

      --
      If you want news from today, you have to come back tomorrow.
    5. Re: I think you missed a few letters there by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Wasn't there an article on /. A few days ago, about Apple granting the Chinese government keys, so they could access phones of dissidents?

    6. Re: I think you missed a few letters there by JackieBrown · · Score: 2

      It's a Chinese law so it's a bit different than a police force just saying "give me access."

      http://betanews.com/2015/12/27...

      Apple said that the FBI was asking for more than even China has asked for.
      http://www.theguardian.com/tec...

    7. Re:I think you missed a few letters there by war4peace · · Score: 1

      "It remains a priority for the government to ensure that law enforcement can obtain crucial digital information to protect national security and public safety, either with cooperation from relevant parties, or through the court system when cooperation fails,"

      How do they define "crucial"? I mean, you don't know if there's any relevant information on that phone, so how can one define such unknown information as "crucial"?
      Also, protecting "national security and public safety" should be a proactive act. Scouring through their phones AFTER the motherfuckers did their act is anything but proactive.

      --
      ...gis sdrawkcab (usually not responding to ACs; don't bother posting as AC)
    8. Re:I think you missed a few letters there by Altrag · · Score: 2

      Also, protecting "national security and public safety" should be a proactive act.

      From that line of thinking we get ideas like PRISM. No. Just no.

      The only way to proactively stop someone from committing a crime is to invade their privacy. But you don't know who's privacy to invade until you've already done it. Therefore we must invade everyone's privacy!

      But that's OK because we all trust the government to be good, honest and inhumanly capable of securing their databases, right? Those silly constitution writers didn't know what they were talking about when they made that fourth amendment. Probably just wrote it up as a prank.

    9. Re:I think you missed a few letters there by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Whaddya mean redundant? It was the first mention in the thread... What the hell is the matter with you people?

    10. Re:I think you missed a few letters there by rtb61 · · Score: 1

      Actually there is only one way to stop crime. That is accepting the reality of the situation, crime is the result of poor breeding choices, poor parenting skills and poor educational opportunities. Seriously want to end crime then those three sides of the crime triangle need to be tackled, fail at any one and crime will persist and victims will continue to be created.

      So is this really about ending crime or just more rich versus poor laws. Rich get privacy and the rich get to invade the privacy of the poor. Think the wrong thing based upon analysis of all your activities, any anti-rich thoughts and be turned into a non person in a cash society, loose control as a result and get 'stop resisting' to death.

      Lets see someone like the SEC demand full continuous access to corporate books first. with a tie in to the IRS and of course the DOJ. Serious about ending crime, lets tackle major corporate crime with the greatest number of victims first.

      --
      Chaos - everything, everywhere, everywhen
    11. Re:I think you missed a few letters there by yithar7153 · · Score: 1

      I 100% agree. Ravindrababu Ravula talks in his video Indian education system especially in Engineering has failed about crime rate and the failure of the education system. I don't live in India, but I can say there are similar problems in the US as well with some teachers not teaching well.

    12. Re: I think you missed a few letters there by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The idea that the government has an imperative to stop crime before it happens is completely bogus, especially when we consider what's required to do that... in a well reasoned big picture what's happening here is definitely hurting the country. It's horrifying that this is ostensibly being done for our welfare.

    13. Re:I think you missed a few letters there by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If I remember correctly, was it not apple that broached the idea in court. FBI wanted one phone, apple said it could be used to open all phones...so apple has a way, the fbi, wants a way, and the Europeans, Chinese and Israelis all have their ways. And its okay? But for ours, we have to go to a court, and pay? Right? And this makes it more secure if the NSA dont talk, because of the trade secrets act stippulated in the TPP, why not give the secret to everyone, on a legal basis

    14. Re:I think you missed a few letters there by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Indeed. The propaganda show is in full swing here. Quite the effort too.

    15. Re:I think you missed a few letters there by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Nah, there is only one way to stop crime and that is to kill each and every human being. The things you talked about will only reduce it, not stop it.

    16. Re:I think you missed a few letters there by mbone · · Score: 1

      Really. This article is nothing less than delusional. Is Ars Technica just taking dictation from the FBI now?

    17. Re:I think you missed a few letters there by war4peace · · Score: 1

      I was talking about preventing crime by helping make society better.
      When large swaths of population with high crime risk aren't helped integrate or better themselves, it's only expected for them to turn to crime.

      --
      ...gis sdrawkcab (usually not responding to ACs; don't bother posting as AC)
    18. Re:I think you missed a few letters there by RockDoctor · · Score: 1

      Actually there is only one way to stop crime. That is accepting the reality of the situation, crime is the result of poor breeding choices, poor parenting skills and poor educational opportunities.

      Strange. I thought that most (not quite all, but certainly more than 50%, so "most") crime was the consequence of greed more than any of the eugenicist issues that you raise.

      Sorry, did I just piss in your philosophical pot?

      --
      Birds are not dinosaur descendants;birds are dinosaurs, for all useful meanings of "birds", "are" and "dinosaurs"
  4. All hail our new Irish... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    ...Apple overlords!

  5. Obvious by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    There are still people who believes government lies.
    It was obvious right from the beginning that it wasn't about one phone. Enjoy what remain of your privacy while you can.

    Now, can I have my +5 mod? Well, I am AC, so I will probably get beaten to it by a logged-in user with a karma bonus.

    1. Re:Obvious by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Unless that logged in user with karma bonus is modding ;)

    2. Re:Obvious by fustakrakich · · Score: 4, Insightful

      There are still people who believes government lies.

      That would be anybody who votes for a republican or democrat. A little over 98% according to the last numbers. And they are digging in their heels when challenged over it.

      --
      “He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
    3. Re:Obvious by amRadioHed · · Score: 1

      No, those are the people who believe politicians, or those who understand the unfortunate math behind the US voting system.

      --
      We hope your rules and wisdom choke you / Now we are one in everlasting peace
    4. Re:Obvious by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No, those are the people who believe politicians, or those who understand the unfortunate math behind the US voting system.

      You know if everyone else voted for one candidate that candidate would win. Too many don't vote...

    5. Re:Obvious by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      There are still people who believes government lies.

      That would be anybody who votes for a republican or democrat. A little over 98% according to the last numbers. And they are digging in their heels when challenged over it.

      We are told that voting is worthwhile when a simple analysis will reveal its mathematical futility. Given no external incentives (or, in the case of Australia, threats), I conclude that voters as a rule are less critical and more gullible than non-voters.

      Even of the less intelligent* USians (the voters), it is quite possible that they don't believe the lies. Many people, for example, aren't voting for someone they support, but to keep a particular monster away from power.

      *I'm assume the best. Every sufficiently intelligent voter is either spineless or manipulative (or, in the case of Australia, a slave).

    6. Re:Obvious by fustakrakich · · Score: 3, Insightful

      We make the math. The system is us. If it is "broken", it means we are.

      --
      “He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
    7. Re:Obvious by amicusNYCL · · Score: 1

      "The unfortunate math?" Why is the math so unlucky? Why are we leaving it that way?

      --
      "Our two-party system is like a bowl of shit looking at itself in a mirror." - Lewis Black
    8. Re:Obvious by j_l_cgull · · Score: 1

      That would be anybody who votes for a republican or democrat. A little over 98% according to the last numbers. And they are digging in their heels when challenged over it.

      Hurray, I am a 2 percenter !

    9. Re:Obvious by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Both Trump and Bernie are exposing the corruption on both sides making it harder to hand wave the issue away. Many people don't believe how corrupt the system has become since Citizen's United removed the final barriers. Bernie's success has forced Hillary to take a stance against Citizen's United so either way on the Democratic side they'll likely fight to restore some sanity to election funding. The Republican side chooses to win the battle by voting for someone rich enough to fund themselves.

    10. Re:Obvious by kwbauer · · Score: 1

      Oh I can't wait for the left to realize how it got suckered when an administration (after Citizen's United gets overturned) uses the US Marshall Service to physically stop the presses or to gather up all the printed copies of a book already printed because said administration does not like how unflattering it paints the administration. That is one of the "remedies" the Obama administration admitted to wanting in this case. It is all there, in black and white, open for anybody willing to actually pull their heads out of their nether regions long enough to actually read the written opinions of the court. And don't forget to notice the part about how the dissenting judges think there is a very easy way to tell who is a legitimate member of the press and deserving of the right to free (unrestricted) speech and who is not.

      Or don't and continue begging a benevolent government to further erode your right to express your opinion and band together.

    11. Re:Obvious by Altrag · · Score: 1

      Or Green or independent or any other label you want to apply. "Government" is made up of many people, not all of whom are even voted for (hell not even most,) and at least some proportion of which are going to be dicks because power draws assholes like moths to a flame.

      Even if you have one favored candidate up on your little pedestal and even if they're actually as awesome as you proclaim, there's a whole shitload of other people waiting to fill in the dickery slot for them and those people come from all parties and all walks of life. Having to deal with assholes is one of the few shared human experiences that spans every nation, race, culture and time period.

      Not that you shouldn't try of course. Having one good person in office is better than having no good people in office.. but using any definition of party association to encompass good vs bad politicians is just dumb.

    12. Re: Obvious by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No, that would be anyone who thinks their vote counts in the U.S. because it doesn't. The electoral college votes in the puppet... I mean president.

      I won't even go into the rest because sheeple don't like to hear the facts.

    13. Re:Obvious by fustakrakich · · Score: 1

      It's actually the reelection rate that is most troublesome. 95% These guys should only get one chance to fuck up before being voted out (I'm against term limits, the voters can do that on the ballots). Giving them six terms does not reflect well on the electorate. It reveals their own corruption.

      --
      “He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
    14. Re:Obvious by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      or, in the case of Australia, a slave

      In what way? If you have registered to vote then yes you do "have to" at least turn up to the polling stations or send an absentee vote (so they say, but I and many people I know have skipped voting before and nothing has ever happened) and if you do vote you can vote for anybody or nobody. Sounds like a pretty flexible and relaxed definition of slavery to me. If that is indeed what being a "slave" means then I cant see what all those african americans are whining about.

    15. Re:Obvious by david_thornley · · Score: 1

      It's impossible to know what's true and decide that the best course of action is to vote for a Republican or Democrat? Frequently the third party candidates all seem worse to me than at least one of the major party candidates.

      --
      "When you have eliminated the unacceptable, whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truthiness" - Holmes
    16. Re:Obvious by david_thornley · · Score: 1

      I agree that the reelection rate is worrisome, but (a) it is possible to fuck something up and learn from that mistake, and (b) there's no reason one person can't be the best available choice for several terms.

      --
      "When you have eliminated the unacceptable, whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truthiness" - Holmes
    17. Re:Obvious by fustakrakich · · Score: 1

      Politics moves too slowly to call anything a *fuckup*. That's like calling a hurricane a disaster when avoidance is trivial (robust buildings help). Follow the money, and you will find intent. The guy should always be under the Sword of Damocles, electorally speaking of course! That should be the price of power.

      --
      “He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
    18. Re:Obvious by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You say that as though the minor parties are any better - they aren't, and sometimes they're much worse. Where I live, the Constitution Party is consistently on the ballot for president (they don't seem to run anything else). Go to their website and then tell me they're not worse than the two major flavors. I happen to disagree just as strongly with a few positions of the Libertarians and Greens as I do with a few positions of the Democrats and Republicans, so even from a purely idealistic perspective, it's roughly a wash. The other minor parties either cannot achieve ballot access here, or have zero chance of getting any traction in a newborn's lifetime (socialist and communist parties). So, I'm left with strategic voting, and there's always a chance that the wrong lizard might get into office if enough voters are distracted by a minor party candidate - hooray for plurality voting. That said, if a Modern Whig candidate were to ever show up on a ballot, I'd be sorely tempted, except for their terribly unfortunate support of a national firearms registry.

      If the minor parties want to ever gain any traction (assuming they even can in a plurality voting system), they need to switch to a bottom-up strategy instead of the top-down strategy they all employ. Everybody puts up a presidential candidate; few shoot for mayor or state level representative/senator, and not consistently, nor with sufficient local support or any semblance of long-term political strategy. They're all trying to summit Everest without any basecamps.

      - T

  6. Huh? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

    So now the FBI is claiming they won the court battle? Shameless.

    1. Re:Huh? by tnk1 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      The case didn't complete the challenge, but at the same time, there was no ruling, so there is only one ruling at this time: the court order compelling Apple to cooperate.

      So, they didn't actually win the war, but they do have a solid tactical victory under their belts that they could turn strategic under the right circumstances. They may have backed off their offensive this time, but they're still in possession of the battlefield and the territory behind it where they can launch an attack from in the future, at their leisure.

      So, for some value of winning, they *have* won something, just not everything all at once.

    2. Re:Huh? by DigiShaman · · Score: 2

      The same FBI that says to pay the ransom when your network gets hit with ransomware. Just so you all know.

      http://www.businessinsider.com...

      Reported last week by Security Ledger, Joseph Bonavolonta, the Assistant Special Agent who oversees the FBI’s CYBER and Counterintelligence Program in Boston, spoke at the 2015 Cyber Security Summit and advised that companies infected with ransomware may want to give in to the criminal’s demands.

      “The ransomware is that good,” Bonavolonta explained to an audience of business and technology leaders during the Q&A. “To be honest, we often advise people just to pay the ransom.”

      --
      Life is not for the lazy.
    3. Re: Huh? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yeah. 'Triumphant' is laughable. Everyone in the tech industry knows they're lying through their teeth. The corporate media knows it too but they're unconcerned with reporting the truth in this case.

      What's important is how badly they've screwed up. Now that we all know what they really want and that they'll lie to get it, everyone should be designing appropriate countermeasures in their newest releases. I'm sure Apple is. I'd hope Google will follow.

    4. Re:Huh? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The first YOU is not related to the second YOU in the same sentence apparently...

      But hey, shoot up a private party, and as long as THE CRIMINAL(s) has(have) a funny-sounding name and vaguely brownish skin color, then the government wants to protect/help THE CITIZEN(s), at any cost.

      Of course, double standard -- if THE CRIMINAL(s) is(are) a white christian male and you shoot up a school full of kids, the response is "hey, shit happens", and the government does nothing to protect/help THE CITIZEN(s)

      is what I read... after much deliberation

    5. Re: Huh? by Adambomb · · Score: 2

      You're missing the big picture. This was a Triumph for them in that the case ended up with no ruling in a situation where public sentiment was being stirred against the government stance. This means they're free to continue to bring it up in this fashion again and again until it occurs at a time when the majority is distracted by the Kardashian's dog being run over or something and the precedent they want to build gets through the courts.

      Any time it looks like the end result would be a ruling in favor of the public in these cases, it will be dropped. Any time this occurs and nothing keeps it in the limelight, that is a success to the strategy.

      Pretty straight forward.

      --
      Ice Cream has no bones.
    6. Re: Huh? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yeah this just sounds like the super villain shouting "You haven't seen the last of me!", as they fly away in their helicopter.

    7. Re: Huh? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Except there WAS a ruling, that Apple had to comply, only the appeal hasn't been concluded. The actual case completed and was won

    8. Re:Huh? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ...what was your point again?

      The 'you' in the first paragraph referred to both mass murderers and victims. Maybe he should have written "... you have a funny-sounding name and vaguely brownish skin color, then government wants to protect your victims at any cost".

      The 'you' in the second paragraph referred to mass murderers; white people.

    9. Re:Huh? by Altrag · · Score: 1

      That sounds completely in line to be honest, since those ransomware programs are using strong encryption to do their work, and the FBI is all about stamping out strong encryption. I'm surprised they don't try to bring that out as a talking point.. maybe not in this Apple case (since Apple would rightly question how the fuck that's related) but in their more general anti-encryption stance.

      I mean it would be bullshit of course.. its not like all the laws in the world would convince the ransomware people to stop using encryption.. but its not any more BS than most of the other talking points that get thrown around lately.

    10. Re:Huh? by mbone · · Score: 1

      This is a tactical defeat for the FBI, as they got neither compliance nor a precedent. The strategic case, as you say, still remains open

    11. Re:Huh? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You can claim to be Superman, open the window, can you fly?

    12. Re: Huh? by david_thornley · · Score: 1

      An uncontested court action isn't a precedent. If the FBI comes back with another court order, Apple will file the same objections, so the FBI made no headway. What we know is that the FBI managed to get one judge to issue a potentially overreaching court order, not that it would stand up to any challenge.

      --
      "When you have eliminated the unacceptable, whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truthiness" - Holmes
    13. Re: Huh? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Exactly, We (the people interested in our privacy and freedom) have to win every single time, the FBI only has to win once.

  7. Precedent? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Did the FBI just get one judge to issue an illegal order, then they withdrew the case while that order was under appeal, and claim a precedent-setting win?

    1. Re:Precedent? by NotInHere · · Score: 3, Insightful

      They have experience from doing this for Vietnam and Afghanistan too.

    2. Re:Precedent? by drew_kime · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Did the FBI just get one judge to issue an illegal order, then they withdrew the case while that order was under appeal, and claim a precedent-setting win?

      I don't see that the feds used the term "legal precedent", but that's clearly the impression they want to give.

      --
      Nope, no sig
    3. Re:Precedent? by p.g.king · · Score: 1, Insightful

      The precedent was set long ago, that slashdot summaries can and will be crap and that people will react is if they are absolutely true.

    4. Re:Precedent? by Zontar_Thing_From_Ve · · Score: 1

      Did the FBI just get one judge to issue an illegal order, then they withdrew the case while that order was under appeal, and claim a precedent-setting win?

      I doubt the order they got was "illegal" as you say. Just because you don't like it, that doesn't make it "illegal". But yes, the article has a link to another article that says that the FBI got a federal judge in Riverside, California to give them an order mandating that Apple create a custom firmware file. It happened almost 2 weeks ago and this is the first I'm hearing about it.

    5. Re:Precedent? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yes.

    6. Re:Precedent? by Holi · · Score: 1

      The case was dropped on appeal by the fbi, no precedence was set.

      --
      Sorry, teleporters just kill you and then make a copy. A perfect, soul-less copy.
    7. Re:Precedent? by mysidia · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Seems Apple should be able to sue the FBI at this point to request a declaratory judgement against their order, due to the harm it does them to have the question about this order still left open...

    8. Re:Precedent? by idontgno · · Score: 3, Informative

      Yes. It's the "Mission Accomplished" strategy.

      --
      Welcome to the Panopticon. Used to be a prison, now it's your home.
    9. Re:Precedent? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This meaningless declaration of victory brought to you by the "Great job Brownie!" school of management and oversight.

      All that is left is the punishment of the innocent, rewarding the guilty, and a 50% increase in the FBI's budget for reasons mumble statutory duty mumble mumble transform the service mumble mumble mumble!

      It's a Victory for Freedom and Justice!

    10. Re:Precedent? by mbone · · Score: 1

      I doubt the order they got was "illegal" as you say. Just because you don't like it, that doesn't make it "illegal". But yes, the article has a link to another article that says that the FBI got a federal judge in Riverside, California to give them an order mandating that Apple create a custom firmware file. It happened almost 2 weeks ago and this is the first I'm hearing about it.

      You might want to consider changing your news sources, as the court order was issued in February, and this has been extensively covered, up to and including a Congressional hearing on March 1.

    11. Re:Precedent? by david_thornley · · Score: 1

      Apple was going to argue that it was illegal, and then the FBI dropped the matter. If the FBI was confident that the order would stand, they would have gone ahead with the action. Getting Apple to go along with the FBI demands would have been much more useful for the FBI than paying an Israeli firm to break the phone.

      --
      "When you have eliminated the unacceptable, whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truthiness" - Holmes
  8. A precedent? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Insightful

    How, even by the FBI's twisted reasoning, does the FBI withdrawing it's court order to Apple translate as "legal precedent"? I'd like to think this is the FBI shirking due process, but I suspect the writer of this article may have neglected to clarify some details.

    1. Re:A precedent? by tnk1 · · Score: 1

      They withdrew their enforcement action of that one order. The order itself, never having been quashed, is thus considered to have stood, albeit it was never enforced. Only actual decisions are precedent, not cases that never made it to judgement.

      There is still a decision on the books which gave them the order which would only be contradicted by another actual ruling, such as if they had had gone to judgement and lost on appeal. The fact that they decided not to continue to pursue enforcement doesn't mean they lost their case, and without a decision, there is no ruling to overturn the existing precedent.

      That said, the precedent could just as easily be overturned by the next court to look at it, as it would have been by this court. So they're just stating that they are willing to try again because they weren't slapped down, it doesn't mean that they now have an ironclad case to challenge an appeal.

    2. Re:A precedent? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      They got the court order, then withdrew the case before it could be overturned on appeal.

    3. Re:A precedent? by nytes · · Score: 1

      I guess I didn't completely understand the case. I thought the judge had only said that they intended to issue the order, but gave Apple a chance to respond. Apple was never even told that the FBI had asked for the AWA order. They found out about it from the FBI's press release.

      That said, when Apple was actually allowed to respond to a AWA order in New York, the FBI got sent packing. That sounds like a much stronger precedent than this case. This case was decided by a judge only hearing one side of an argument with the other party not even present.

      A lot of people expected this one to go the same way as New York, once the hearing started. It was pretty obvious the FBI was getting nervous about it.

      In other news, I just beat the New England Patriots in a football game, single handed! The final score was 210 to 0. The fact that I didn't tell them I was planning to play against them today, and they weren't even in California at the time, in no way detracts from my historic victory.

      --
      -- I have monkeys in my pants.
    4. Re:A precedent? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "precedent could just as easily be overturned by the next court to look at it"

      sure but for the next case the FBI will be sure to target someone with a lot less lawyers then apple.

    5. Re:A precedent? by bitingduck · · Score: 1

      Only actual decisions are precedent, not cases that never made it to judgement.

      Precedent is set in the appellate courts. The one court order creates no precedent.

    6. Re:A precedent? by david_thornley · · Score: 1

      AIUI, but IANAL, binding precedent is set in circuit courts. Any court decision can be a precedent that a lawyer can argue from, but the court doesn't have to agree with non-binding precedent.

      --
      "When you have eliminated the unacceptable, whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truthiness" - Holmes
  9. Back doors. Apple can't protect us from them by fustakrakich · · Score: 1

    They won't risk the liability issues that can affect their stock price, or possibly mean jail for the executives. Only the open source crowd can mitigate the threat, through anonymous development if need be. Whatever it takes.

    --
    “He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
    1. Re:Back doors. Apple can't protect us from them by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Wow. Trying to turn this into a fanboy pissing match? Just wow.

      It's like Holocaust victims trying to up one another with what death camp they got assigned to.

      No wonder American "culture" has gone to pot.

    2. Re:Back doors. Apple can't protect us from them by mattyj · · Score: 1

      I wouldn't hang our culture on this yahoo.

    3. Re:Back doors. Apple can't protect us from them by fustakrakich · · Score: 1

      I don't use yahoo. And "culture"? Please! Are you a yahoo that thinks the state is entitled to listen in?

      --
      “He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
    4. Re:Back doors. Apple can't protect us from them by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      A logical conclusion. Someone said something that you might take a minor exception to, so it is certainly implied that person embodies the exact opposite of everything you stand for. You are 100% slashdot, fustakrakich.

    5. Re:Back doors. Apple can't protect us from them by fustakrakich · · Score: 1

      "exception" to what? I don't care about Apple.

      --
      “He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
  10. I KNEW IT! by the+simurgh · · Score: 1

    i knew as soon as they got the order the case would be dropped and they would announce they got into the phone. this entire bs was about setting a legal precedent.

  11. Shorter version by Kohath · · Score: 2

    Laws and rules exist so we can rule over you. If you won't bend a knee, we'll break it. And make no mistake, we're accountable to no one. That's the attitude throughout the US government.

  12. Our republicans rulers... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    hate us so much. So much

    1. Re: Our republicans rulers... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And more proof Obama is a DINO so everything he does is the fault of the Republicans.

    2. Re:Our republicans rulers... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You are a very odd little man.

    3. Re: Our republicans rulers... by harperska · · Score: 0

      The question is whether he is actually a DINO, or just too spineless to stand up and fight for any progressive cause that doesn't have the backing of the republicans who control congress.

  13. Surprised? by khasim · · Score: 5, Informative

    Of course you aren't. Everyone who isn't in the government was saying this since the FBI first demanded it.

    But the real terrorists do not use encryption like that. They don't have to.

    The government is trying to push the narrative that the world is just like a Hollywood movie. It isn't. We do not need to give up our privacy so that the government can fight the "bad" men.

    When you weaken encryption, you just make the "good" people more vulnerable to criminals.

    1. Re:Surprised? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The government is trying to push the narrative that the world is just like a Hollywood movie.

      So change the narrative. Write a movie.

    2. Re:Surprised? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Seriously? Do you think it is coincidence that Hollywood is 99.99997% Democrats and that they turn out in big ways to support the government we have now? Hollywood exists as a propaganda arm for the Orwellian shit-show that is our government. Writing a movie will have exactly one effect - singling yourself out for enhanced monitoring if it ever gets any traction.

    3. Re:Surprised? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      We already have the movie, Brazil. It was panned on release and fell 5 million short of its 15 million budget.

      http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/brazil-1986

      You know what everyone wants to watch instead? London Has Fallen, which has almost doubled its 60 million budget in revenue.

      You can't blame Hollywood for giving the people what they'll watch. Sucks, though.

    4. Re:Surprised? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      When you weaken encryption, you just make the "good" people more vulnerable to criminals.

      That is the point. They want people to feel vulnerable and look to their government for protection.

    5. Re:Surprised? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      When you weaken encryption, you just make the "good" people more vulnerable to criminals.

      It's a lot like gun control, isn't it?

    6. Re:Surprised? by mbone · · Score: 1

      My understanding is that DAESH / Al Quaida have both gone hard-core on their message security. The ones that don't tend to wind up dead.

  14. patriot act 2 will fix this! by Joe_Dragon · · Score: 1

    patriot act 2 will fix this!

    1. Re:patriot act 2 will fix this! by ryanmetcalf · · Score: 2

      Patriot Act 2: Security Boogaloo

    2. Re:patriot act 2 will fix this! by Joe_Dragon · · Score: 1

      With extreme waterboarding! With trump.

    3. Re:patriot act 2 will fix this! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Xtreme Waterboarding with Mountain Dew would be either be ruled cruel and unusual punishment, or become the next big attraction at America's theme parks.

    4. Re: patriot act 2 will fix this! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Starring Stallone, Statham, and the Rock.

  15. Fed up with the government yet? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Here is how you can vote for real change. Vote with your production. Don't convert your production to dollars. If enough productive people (not sure what the critical mass would be) stopped using dollars as their currency, then the government would collapse without a single shot being fired. There would have to be austerity. Use alternative currencies like gold, silver, bitcoin, litecoin -- anything that isn't tracked/taxed. Yes all bitcoin transactions are logged but the actual person(s) using a bitcoin address doesn't have to be recorded anywhere. I'm sure the government is going to try and mandate that at some point in the future, but all I have to say is good luck with that!

    If you want to weaken an out of control government, then stop creating taxable events. Leaving the country is another way.

    1. Re:Fed up with the government yet? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Wow, that is some primo tinfoil-hattery right there.

      How, dear wingnut, does one use gold/silver etc. to actually buy food?

    2. Re:Fed up with the government yet? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Make friends with farmers, and buy directly from them. You would be surprised how many of them will accept precious metals.

      How can you call anyone a tinfoil hat wearer post Edward Snowden?

    3. Re:Fed up with the government yet? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Surprised? I'd be utterly stunned if even one of them didn't laugh in my face.

      You see, my shiny-chapeau-ed chum, farmers have to buy things too, and they know damn well they would face exactly the same problems as I would, in trying to actually live without either cash or credit.

    4. Re:Fed up with the government yet? by amicusNYCL · · Score: 1

      Yeah, idiot, just make friends with farmers. Gasoline farmers, rental property farmers, bread farmers, beer farmers, insurance farmers, electricity farmers, sewage treatment farmers, trash can farmers. You know, farmers! When it's time to pay your mortgage you put a gold bar in an envelope and send it to your lender. If they don't want to accept it just tell them to make friends with farmers.

      Little known fact: you can send many things through the mail service without needing packaging. You can just write your name and account number directly on the gold bar, the address of your lender, put some stamps on it, and drop it right in the mailbox.

      --
      "Our two-party system is like a bowl of shit looking at itself in a mirror." - Lewis Black
    5. Re:Fed up with the government yet? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Mortgage, schmortgage. This level of tinfoil-hattery requires squatting in the bush in a bark lean-to and eating berries.

    6. Re:Fed up with the government yet? by david_thornley · · Score: 1

      I make X dollars a year. If I could get that in any other valuable object than dollars (gold, diamonds, goats), I would have to know the dollar equivalent and file income taxes on it. At tax time, I'd have to convert my bitcoin or whatever into dollars, since the government doesn't accept collectible bottle caps or anything besides dollars as tax payments.

      There are small economic systems that don't use dollars and don't report as legally required, but if they got too large the IRS would crack down on them.

      --
      "When you have eliminated the unacceptable, whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truthiness" - Holmes
  16. DMCA by Lord+Dreamshaper · · Score: 1

    Of course the FBI & the DOJ will prosecute their 3rd party helpers to the fullest extent possible for DMCA violations, right? I mean that iPhone didn't just unencrypt itself...

    --
    When all of your wishes have been granted, many of your dreams will be destroyed - Marilyn Manson
    1. Re:DMCA by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Hmm it would be interesting if Apple used the DMCA on the 3rd party company to stop them from decrypting the phone.

    2. Re:DMCA by mattyj · · Score: 2

      It's an Israeli company, so they likely don't have any recourse.

      I can't wait until the US guv'munt outlaws encryption on all our phones, then we'll have to go to the Chinese to get our encryption software. I wonder what Alanis Morissette has to say about that.

    3. Re:DMCA by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Law Enforcement is exempt from the DMCA.

    4. Re:DMCA by Lord+Dreamshaper · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Law Enforcement seems to be exempt from any laws that inconvenience them....getting a court order was only an attempt at expedience

      --
      When all of your wishes have been granted, many of your dreams will be destroyed - Marilyn Manson
    5. Re:DMCA by fustakrakich · · Score: 1

      Law enforcement is exempt from the law

      --
      “He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
    6. Re:DMCA by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's an Israeli company, so they likely don't have any recourse.

      Apple could hire Hamas or the Iranian Government to deliver "rough justice."

      I can't wait until the US guv'munt outlaws encryption on all our phones, then we'll have to go to the Chinese to get our encryption software.

      I wonder what Alanis Morissette has to say about that.

      Ironic.
      Citation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jne9t8sHpUc

    7. Re:DMCA by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It would take all of six months for them to realize the error of their ways as the whole country gets hacked. If the mandate is that the government should have a key then judgement day might take a few years before it arrives, or six months.

      This is pure capitalism vs security so it forces political ideology to pick a side. The people most in favor of war are usually the most in favor of unbridled capitalism free from government interference. Cognitive dissonance will be abound and very hard to ignore when literally everyone with a cell phone gets the bank account emptied due to a lack of security. This will be especially jarring when our competitors are not encumbered so they will remain secure.

    8. Re:DMCA by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      considering her complete misunderstanding of the word Irony, she would probably consider it Ironic

    9. Re:DMCA by david_thornley · · Score: 1

      The court order was an attempt to get Apple to do something. Law Enforcement has quite a few powers, and usurps more, but they're limited in what they can do by themselves to get other people to comply.

      --
      "When you have eliminated the unacceptable, whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truthiness" - Holmes
  17. Here comes a public relations war ... by Alain+Williams · · Score: 2

    Both Apple & the government of the USA have learned from the recent spat, partly on the technical front and also on how to present their case in the court of public opinion.

    Apple will further remove its ability to break into encrypted 'phones but as importantly be able to paint in bad colours any government that tries to make it do such things. This is assuming that this was not for show to fool ''undesirables'' that Apple 'phones are safe - something that would benefit Apple (more sales) and the government (more good data on the 'phones that it cracks).

    The government will look for an even more compelling case so that it can accuse Apple of helping terrorists/paedophiles/... and so win the legal case that sets precedent or be able to pass laws that let it do so.

    1. Re:Here comes a public relations war ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This is assuming that this was not for show to fool ''undesirables'' that Apple 'phones are safe - something that would benefit Apple (more sales) and the government (more good data on the 'phones that it cracks).
       
      If the government had this intent then they would never claim that they could break the phone without Apple. The tinfoil cap version of this story plays no out to no sense of logic at all. Bringing it up on such a public stage makes many more people aware of potential government abuse and claiming that the phone can be hacked only makes them more weary of their devices. The FBI had nothing to gain from going public with this and anything Apple could have gained faded the second the FBI made claims to being able to hack the phone without the help of Apple.

  18. Hopefully... by MitchDev · · Score: 2

    ...the makers of devices and encryption software will fight the US with every fiber of their beings...

    1. Re:Hopefully... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Like Lavabit fought so hard?

      Oh, right. Lavabit turned over like a bitch for the government, and shut down when facing a real threat.

      Expect to see more of the same from other companies.

    2. Re: Hopefully... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Lavabit honorably shut down rather than compromise its users. As far as I'm aware, that was the only legal and ethical way to satisfy the demand for the private keys.

    3. Re:Hopefully... by fustakrakich · · Score: 1

      Maybe the open source ones might. Commercial entities won't risk the liability. They exist to make money, not software/hardware. Legal battles are for protecting assets, not rights.

      --
      “He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
    4. Re:Hopefully... by sociocapitalist · · Score: 1

      ...the makers of devices and encryption software will fight the US with every fiber of their beings...

      At least until they decide that life is just easier offshore somewhere in which case they'll sell compromised phones into the US market leaving the rest of the world (relatively) secure.

      I mean, on top of the tax benefits they already get from being outside the US.

      --
      blindly antisocialist = antisocial
    5. Re:Hopefully... by MitchDev · · Score: 1

      Problem with that is just about every other government around the world is turning fascist and demanding these sorts of backdoors and ramping up the spying on their own citizens too

    6. Re:Hopefully... by sociocapitalist · · Score: 1

      Problem with that is just about every other government around the world is turning fascist and demanding these sorts of backdoors and ramping up the spying on their own citizens too

      Not at all. There are tons of poor/small countries who are perfectly willing to ask nothing at all in exchange for some amount of money that for the poor/small country is huge but is nothing compared to the taxes that the company 'saves' on.

      --
      blindly antisocialist = antisocial
    7. Re:Hopefully... by david_thornley · · Score: 1

      Lavabit, IIRC, tried to comply with legitimate court orders in as unhelpful manner as possible. Had they played it intelligently, they'd never have been asked for their private keys.

      --
      "When you have eliminated the unacceptable, whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truthiness" - Holmes
  19. How is this different from any normal safe? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Out of curiosity are all safe manufacturers in the United States required to provided master keys to all of their locking mechanisms to the FBI? If a criminal happens to throw some important evidence in a safe do they go after the safe manufacturers?

    I was under the impression that the FBI brought in a professional to crack the safe for them. Or if they were really desperate they just blew the thing up knowing that they might damage the contents. Doesn't the same apply here?

    1. Re:How is this different from any normal safe? by oneiros27 · · Score: 1

      Most safes can be cracked with sufficient time. (either picking them if keyed, or trying every permutation if it's a combination lock).

      I don't know enough about safes to know if any of the electronic locks do anything to slow down how fast you can enter the combo if you fail it too many times ... but as many of 'em are vulnerable to a strong magnet, it might not be an issue.

      Most high-end safes that have protection to defend against drilling (ie, trying to bypass the locks), where doing so would break a piece of glass, which in turn releases springs which cause extra bolts to lock the doors. ... but you could still get in with sufficient time ... you'd just have to manage to cut through one of the sides of the safe ... in such a way that wouldn't damage the contents (eg, set them on fire).

      The closest equivalent that I can think of would be if you had that glass plate attached to a spring that'd break a vial with acid or sodium to try to destroy the contents should someone attempt to drill the safe ... but I would think you could still pick it and/or brute force a combination.

      --
      Build it, and they will come^Hplain.
    2. Re: How is this different from any normal safe? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Except if it is my safe, I can and will be able to open it even if my idiot nephew resets the combination so I can't.

      Nobody from SupersafeCo will block the locksmith hired to do it either.

      Apple will do the same for their iPhone when?

    3. Re:How is this different from any normal safe? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I don't know enough about safes to know if any of the electronic locks do anything to slow down how fast you can enter the combo if you fail it too many times ... but as many of 'em are vulnerable to a strong magnet, it might not be an issue.

      The dorm safe I got for my kid locks out all entry attempts* for several minutes if you enter a wrong combo (or swipe a wrong card) several (5?) times. I think the steel of the safe itself would interfere with a magnet attack, but haven't tried it.

      Of course anyone sufficiently determined could cut the cable attaching the safe to the bed frame (or pry it up from the floor bolts if the dorm allowed them) and drag it off to work on with an angle-grinder at leisure.

      *There's a mechanical key/lock which won't be overridden, the keyhole is hidden in a non-obvious place.

    4. Re:How is this different from any normal safe? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      All it takes to crack a safe is time, and it's measured in hours, unlike encryption where things like "heat death of the universe" comes into play. Electronic locks aren't really any more or less secure than a dial combination lock (though they are generally much more convenient).

      Competent safe crackers, to include those employed by the government, can get into most any safe in an hour or so.

  20. Interesting strategy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Original court case: GOOD TRY

    Quitting and declaring success: GOOD STRATEGY

    Publishing that you have a zero day exploit that makes a great many users less secure and not disclosing it to Apple so it can get fixed: GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR IMPROVEMENT (with little additional security cost, because new generations of h/w will make the disclosure a non-issue in the near future.)

    1. Re:Interesting strategy by Comboman · · Score: 2

      Quitting and declaring success: GOOD STRATEGY

      All they need now is a "Mission Accomplished!" banner.

      --
      Support Right To Repair Legislation.
  21. Compromise by The-Ixian · · Score: 0

    I would think that a way to achieve compromise is to individualize the encryption to the device so that, if ordered by the court, the manufacturer could hand over the key(s) for that particular device to get the data at rest. That key would be useless for any other device and it would be useless for data in transit.

    I am sure that this could be further secured by also requiring the manufacturer to use a government key as well. So the end effect would be that the manufacturer has one individual key for that device, the government has a key and both would be required to decrypt the data at rest.

    In the case of a breach of one or the other, the keys gathered would be useless alone.

    Is this technically impossible? I don't know much about encryption (as may be obvious) but it seems like if we don't reach a compromise, things are going to end a lot worse with the government ultimately getting its way without any input from the industry.

    --
    My eyes reflect the stars and a smile lights up my face.
    1. Re:Compromise by The-Ixian · · Score: 1

      On further reflection, perhaps a 3 key system. All individualized. 1 key held by you, 1 by Apple and 1 by government. Any 2 can be used to decyrpt the data at rest on your phone.

      --
      My eyes reflect the stars and a smile lights up my face.
    2. Re:Compromise by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Just like the firearms compromises.

      "You want to the right to bear arms, we don't want you to have that right, so to compromise, you can keep certain weaponry on our approved list."

      The correct answer is that Constitutionally recognized rights are not to be compromised, and any advocate of compromising them is engaging in an act of war against the Constitution and citizenry of the USA.

    3. Re:Compromise by The-Ixian · · Score: 0

      *Or* maybe just a 1 key system but when your unique key is created and baked into the silicon it is recorded in 2 parts. 1 part is sent to the government and then purged from the manufacturer's system and the other half stays in the manufacturer's db.

      Both parts would need to be assembled to decrypt the data on that device. That key would be useless for any other device.

      --
      My eyes reflect the stars and a smile lights up my face.
    4. Re:Compromise by The-Ixian · · Score: 1

      A couple of things.

      First, firearms are already pretty heavily regulated (i.e. handguns, assault weapons, ammo gauge, military grade firepower)

      Second, the government already has a long standing ability to search and seizure through proper channels. What makes a phone different?

      IMO, there is definitely room for compromise here.

      --
      My eyes reflect the stars and a smile lights up my face.
    5. Re:Compromise by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      *Or* maybe just a 1 key system

      And the person owning the device is the only one who holds it.

      Now we have a winner.

    6. Re:Compromise by fustakrakich · · Score: 2

      Now why would I ever buy a phone like that??

      --
      “He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
    7. Re:Compromise by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      i cannot see how that would work when each of the two keys i can use contains half of the information needed to figure out the 3rd key?

    8. Re:Compromise by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      By that remarkable reasoning, The Bill of Rights was a traitor's letter that set up a new constitution after overthrowing the original United States in a blatant act of war waged by the government on itself.

      And every amendment after the 10th was another open war, resolved only after traitors assumed command of the formerly great nation!

      Man, I bet Scalia would've loved you.

    9. Re:Compromise by tnk1 · · Score: 1

      You wouldn't. Which is why they outlaw all phones that don't comply and make it so that non-compliant phones can't access the network.

    10. Re:Compromise by TangoMargarine · · Score: 1

      Besides the terrible idea that the govt + Apple can unlock it without my permission, they can also prevent me from being able to unlock it myself.

      -5 WTF Is He Smoking

      --
      Unity? Screw that: XFCE. Slashdot Beta? Screw that: SoylentNews. Australis? Screw that: Pale Moon. UX developers DIAF
    11. Re:Compromise by TangoMargarine · · Score: 1

      Second, the government already has a long standing ability to search and seizure through proper channels.

      Exactly. These legal battles are trying to redefine "proper channels" to be "whenever we damn well feel like it."

      BOHICA

      --
      Unity? Screw that: XFCE. Slashdot Beta? Screw that: SoylentNews. Australis? Screw that: Pale Moon. UX developers DIAF
    12. Re:Compromise by nytes · · Score: 1

      You mean you weren't the first in line to buy a phone with the Clipper chip in it?

      --
      -- I have monkeys in my pants.
    13. Re:Compromise by fustakrakich · · Score: 1

      Yeah, I guess I'll have to wait for the miracle of 3D printing to make my own.

      --
      “He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
    14. Re:Compromise by mattventura · · Score: 1

      You're right, a phone shouldn't be different. So why is it that the FBI is expecting special treatment from Apple? Proper search and seizure doesn't mean they can force manufacturers to bend to their will.

    15. Re:Compromise by AHuxley · · Score: 1

      Re "Is this technically impossible? I don't know much about encryption (as may be obvious) but it seems like if we don't reach a compromise, things are going to end a lot worse with the government ultimately getting its way without any input from the industry."
      As some have commented will all US paper shredder brands https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... have to provide expensive unshredding support via a scanner, software and be able to put the cut paper back together as a readable document on gov demand for free?
      Serial numbers in printers to print a code on every page to track to origin?
      What the US wants to return to is the Clipper chip https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... been designed into every US connected phone for free.
      A US gov conscripted master key giving access to all phone data to any bureaucrat globally who worked with the US, ex staff, former staff and anyone who can hire the skills of former staff.
      The US gov wanted a computer system fully under their own control to decrypt any cell phone of that generation.

      --
      Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
    16. Re:Compromise by Altrag · · Score: 1

      This is technically possible yes.

      The problem is when someone hacks the government server and just takes all of the keys.

      By necessity there needs to be some way to identify which key belongs to which phone, so you've simply reduced the problem set from getting a single key to getting a database of keys.

      And that might not even be an improvement. A single key could in principle be kept purely on paper in a safe at the FBI and all digital copies destroyed immediately after printing whereas that would be impractical for a database containing hundreds of millions of keys..

      Having a dual set of keys held by different entities as a poster below suggested would be significantly better since the hacker would now have to break into two completely separate systems. This is also technically possible -- we have the math to build K of N keys systems for any 1=K=N and if you want one user key OR two external keys then you just combine two regular keys together to create your user key (and then the FBI and Apple would each get a single regular key.) .. But this is only really useful if the keys had a way of being overwritten in the phone (so if FBI's database is compromised, Apple can just send them a new set of keys and push an update to the affected phones.. and similarly if their own database is compromised.) Without that, its only a matter of time before both databases are compromised -- more time than with just one perhaps but still just time.

      And now you've opened up a back door that anyone could (potentially) figure out and just be able to load your phone with whatever keys they feel like and then have complete access to it.

      From a theoretical standpoint, this problem was solved decades ago with things like K-of-N encryption systems. Its the practical side that falls down since we have no way to guarantee the keys won't be stolen or abused, and any key update/replacement functionality you try to bake into it could also be stolen or abused just as easily.

      That's a real-world problem though and the media/FBI/whoever constantly focusing on the technical "issues" to the exclusion of all else isn't doing anything to solve it. Which of course is what they want because there really isn't a way to solve it. Nobody really believes perfect security is possible and unfortunately when it comes to computer systems, imperfect security is exactly equivalent to no security with a time delay.

    17. Re:Compromise by Altrag · · Score: 1

      What makes a phone different?

      Math, scale of the install base and the fact that the internet exists. The math guarantees that once a key is known, there's no limits to it. The scale of the install base means knowing keys to one phone is almost equivalent to a universal privacy invasion and the fact that the internet exists means separate keys for each phone isn't significantly different from a single key (the key needed to log into the database storing the other keys.)

      Of those, the internet issue is by far the easiest to work around -- just don't ever allow the keys to be put somewhere that they're accessible from the internet (or any network that could potentially be accessed from the internet regardless of how many firewalls and whatever you put in place.) But of course we all know that won't happen. Never mind the possibility of internal sabotage exposing the key database to the world.

      Real-world search and seizure works because things like safes or houses are fundamentally distinct objects. The FBI breaking down my neighbor's door doesn't impact my security in the slightest (.. my property values are another story..)

      The FBI having the capability to break into the phone of some random guy Jersey on the other hand has a strong potential to affect my phone's security (and I'm not even American!) because that single shared database (if it existed) would break the fundamental separation that makes search and seizure not horrific for real-world objects..

      And even then, the US had to enact a constitutional amendment to limit abuse in the real world. Imagine what would happen if abuse required only a couple keystrokes while hidden away in a cubical rather than a swat team with a battering ram in plain sight?

  22. Of course by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Of course the Gov't will pursue this, in their best interests of establishing a legal precedent to force companies to acquiesce. Which is exactly why we have to be proactive in ensuring that never, ever happens.

    That said, I believe what Snowden suggested that the idea the Gov't didn't have resources or knowledge of how to do this was "bullshit". So, assuming that, this is more political theatrics than anything. Or, it's the FBI not wanting to go asking big brother NSA to help. Or both.

  23. a.k.a. Clipper Chip 2.0 by romanval · · Score: 1

    .... What's old is new again!

    1. Re:a.k.a. Clipper Chip 2.0 by fustakrakich · · Score: 1

      And just like last time, pushed by democrats (like the party really makes a difference, it's purely a coincidence). So, when voting, know that Trump will protect your privacy just as well as Hillary.

      --
      “He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
    2. Re:a.k.a. Clipper Chip 2.0 by romanval · · Score: 1

      The Clipper chip was in final development long before a Democrat took the White House in 1993... Those things don't pop out of nowhere.

      Now I don't think the party of the president has a huge bearing on what those 3 letter agencies try to do.... but I can attest to a Republican presidency that shoved the PATRIOT Act down our throats.

    3. Re:a.k.a. Clipper Chip 2.0 by fustakrakich · · Score: 1

      I can attest to a Republican presidency that shoved the PATRIOT Act down our throats.

      With full consent of the democrats, outside of a small fringe element with no influence. And more than a few democrats helped draft the thing. Nobody of any significance spoke up against it. Face it, we have created a monolith, which is really a monkey trap. To free ourselves we only need to let go of the nut.

      --
      “He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
    4. Re:a.k.a. Clipper Chip 2.0 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I can attest to a Republican presidency that shoved the PATRIOT Act down our throats.

      With full consent of the democrats, outside of a small fringe element with no influence. And more than a few democrats helped draft the thing. Nobody of any significance spoke up against it. Face it, we have created a monolith, which is really a monkey trap. To free ourselves we only need to let go of the nut.

      So dump Trump and vote Bernie.

      http://www.ontheissues.org/2016/Bernie_Sanders_Homeland_Security.htm
      Q: You're the only one on this stage who voted against the Patriot Act in 2001 and the reauthorization votes. Would you shut down the NSA surveillance program?

      SANDERS: Absolutely. Of course.

    5. Re:a.k.a. Clipper Chip 2.0 by fustakrakich · · Score: 1

      That's the gimmick. That stuff is easy to say, knowing full well he won't win and have to do it (wouldn't be able to anyway). If his vote on the Patriot Act was actually needed, you can bet he would have obliged.

      He is only running to shepherd in more of the "lefty" money to the democrats that would otherwise go to the Greens or some other party. Hillary gets it all after he drops out. He's no angel. Look how he runs his senate campaign with the democrats to mitigate against the chance of a "spoiler" getting on the ballot, by running as an "independent".

      Obama made a lot of promises also. Why should I believe this guy when he works for the same people? If we want to get serious, the entire party power structure has to go, both factions.

      Sorry, maybe I'm just under the influence of the Chicago machine that has worked so well all my life.

      --
      “He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
  24. and when you're a vitim of idenity theft... by tekrat · · Score: 2, Insightful

    And you call the FBI to report it, they don't do anything.

    They want weak encryption (or no encryption) that is easily cracked, with plenty of backdoors, and then when criminals expose these weaknesses, the government does nothing to protect the citizens from crime.

    But hey, shoot up a private party, and as long as you have a funny-sounding name and vaguely brownish skin color, then the government wants to protect you, at any cost.

    Of course, double standard -- if you're a white christian male and you shoot up a school full of kids, the response is "hey, shit happens", and the government does nothing.

    Really, this country is fucked. Completely.

    --
    If telephones are outlawed, then only outlaws will have telephones.
    1. Re:and when you're a vitim of idenity theft... by sociocapitalist · · Score: 1

      "But hey, shoot up a private party, and as long as you have a funny-sounding name and vaguely brownish skin color, then the government wants to protect you, at any cost."

      Bullshit.

      "Of course, double standard -- if you're a white christian male and you shoot up a school full of kids, the response is "hey, shit happens", and the government does nothing."

      Again Bullshit.

      But don't let reality get in the way of your rant.

      --
      blindly antisocialist = antisocial
    2. Re:and when you're a vitim of idenity theft... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      if you're a white christian male

      Why is it that, when the police give preferential treatment to whites, Christians, and women (and discriminatory treatment to blacks, Muslims, and men), people conflate whiteness, Christianity, and maleness?

  25. Ruling? Which ruling? by Khyber · · Score: 1

    Shit got vacated. That means the court order they obtained in the Farook iPhone case is null and void.

    They talking about the weak one they got in New York? Yea, that one won't fly very far, either.

    --
    Still waiting on Serviscope_minor to wake up to fucking reality and realize that Jessica Price isn't going to fuck him.
    1. Re:Ruling? Which ruling? by tnk1 · · Score: 2

      Doesn't matter. The order might be vacated, but the decision that allowed it is still on the books. The order is vacated because it was no longer desired to be enforced. That didn't change the premise under which the order was granted.

    2. Re:Ruling? Which ruling? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      At that level, it doesn't really mean anything... For all intents and purposes, it (the court order) never happened.

    3. Re:Ruling? Which ruling? by Khyber · · Score: 1

      Yes, it does matter. For all intents and purposes, as this case was VACATED, *IT NEVER HAPPENED.*

      They can't point to this case as any sort of precedent, PERIOD. Legally, IT DOES NOT EXIST.

      --
      Still waiting on Serviscope_minor to wake up to fucking reality and realize that Jessica Price isn't going to fuck him.
  26. Lack of process and oversight at FBI by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It was never credible that they could pledge not to do something and stick to it.

  27. Great by U2xhc2hkb3QgU3Vja3M · · Score: 4, Insightful

    U.S. government forces Microsoft and Apple to put backdoors into their products equals nobody buying anything from these two American companies anymore.

    The U.S. government is destroying its own economy!

    1. Re:Great by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      U.S. government forces Microsoft and Apple to put backdoors into their products equals nobody buying anything from these two American companies anymore.

      The U.S. government is destroying its own economy!

      Meanwhile those two companies move their main headquarters overseas further burying the USA's economy.

      It's a lose-lose for the USG when you think about it.

    2. Re:Great by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Interest rates have been held below 0.5% for over 7 years. When it comes to destroying the economy, requiring backdoors of Microsoft and Apple is a drop in the ocean.

    3. Re:Great by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      what, you're never going to play games again?

      don't make me laugh.

    4. Re:Great by Altrag · · Score: 1

      Yeah good luck with that.

      More like equals 1% of people not buying anything from those two companies anymore. Most people have no idea what the hell encryption is, how it works, or why we can't just let the FBI do their job.. computers are exactly like cars after all, right? Or door locks or something we understand and just works and we don't need to think about it while we get back to surfing for cats and porn.

      And of the people who do understand the issues, switching to a whole different OS, losing all of their familiar apps and a good portion of their data.. it just isn't going to happen for a lot of them either. They might make a token effort and install Linux on a separate partition or something but they'll still spend 3/4 of their life booting back into Windows to get something they "just need."

      Never mind phones. You have your choice between Apple, Microsoft and Google. All of which are American companies and subject to US law. Google's probably the best since the actual devices are mostly made and customized by third parties (many of whom aren't US-based) but they still retain a hell of a lot of control over their OS at the fundamental level. They kind of have to in order to keep apps (and ad services!) working across disparate devices.

      I guess you could suck it up and get a Blackberry. Though RIM I'm sure has enough ties to the US that they probably wouldn't fight too hard when the FBI hands them a data retrieval request (probably even less than the big three given their already-precarious economic position.) And Canada's not particularly good at protecting our privacy when the government comes knocking either so we're not really a huge step up even if RIM tries to dig their heels in.

      Your only real hope is just give up your phone, give up your computer, give up your credit and debit cards and pretty much every other modern convenience and go back to living like its 1916 instead of 2016.

  28. Regulating the wrong device by tekrat · · Score: 4, Informative

    Gee. if only the FBI put as much work into making sure automatic weapons don't get into the hands of criminals as much as they worried about telephones getting into the hands of criminals.

    --
    If telephones are outlawed, then only outlaws will have telephones.
    1. Re:Regulating the wrong device by Indy1 · · Score: 3, Informative

      That would require the FBI to investigate their sister service the ATF, who was caught not too long ago smuggling firearms to Mexican drug cartels.

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

      --
      Lawyers, MBA's, RIAA? A jedi fears not these things!
    2. Re:Regulating the wrong device by ageoffri · · Score: 2

      When was the last time automatic weapons were used in a crime in the United States? I'll give you a hint, it is very, very rare for automatic weapons to be used by criminals in the US.

      --
      -- Slashdot, making the Left look conservative since 1997.
    3. Re:Regulating the wrong device by tnk1 · · Score: 1

      Gee. if only the FBI put as much work into making sure automatic weapons don't get into the hands of criminals as much as they worried about telephones getting into the hands of criminals.

      What makes you think that they don't use the same amount of effort? It seems like they've had about the same level of actual success, which is to say, very limited success.

    4. Re:Regulating the wrong device by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      When was the last time automatic weapons were used in a crime in the United States? I'll give you a hint, it is very, very rare for automatic weapons to be used by criminals in the US.

      For good reason. Automatic weapons are very ineffective. Semi autos are more accurate.

    5. Re:Regulating the wrong device by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      There's a good start. How to get the ball rolling?

    6. Re:Regulating the wrong device by shawn2772 · · Score: 1

      Gee. if only the FBI put as much work into making sure automatic weapons don't get into the hands of criminals as much as they worried about telephones getting into the hands of criminals.

      Well, given the fact that no crimes or acts of terrorism are committed with automatic weapons in the US, you can't really say they've got that wrong. If you want to talk about semi-automatic weapons then at least there's a discussion to be had, but not automatics.

    7. Re:Regulating the wrong device by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      stop voting for establishment candidates. every now and then a non-establishment candidate manages to get into the R or D team sort of like trump and sanders. other than that, every vote for R or D is a vote that the status quo is a-ok.

    8. Re:Regulating the wrong device by KermodeBear · · Score: 1

      Trump is non-establishment?

      The guy has been buying off politicians for decades and he has openly bragged about it. He had the Clintons come to his daughter's wedding. He has been involved in political parties in the past - all of them - whatever suited his needs at the time.

      The guy has plenty of establishment ties. If you believe he doesn't then you're falling for his "Hope and Change 2.0" campaign.

      --
      Love sees no species.
    9. Re:Regulating the wrong device by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I think the line of thinking is that he isn't an establishment candidate because he was the one doing the buying, rather than the one being bought. Additionally, because he was the one doing the buying and "has enough money" he is above being bribed himself. Now, while that is something you'll hear from quite a number of his supporters, I think it is important to note there is no such thing as too much money once you get to the level where the amount is just a pure abstract concept beyond concrete comprehension and you shouldn't mistake Trump's being against certain tax breaks for the rich that don't affect him as his being against all tax breaks for the rich.

    10. Re:Regulating the wrong device by ChunderDownunder · · Score: 1

      you're falling for his "Hope and Change 2.0" campaign.

      The Australian PM recently got into hot water by waffling on about 'Continuity and Change', stolen straight from Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

    11. Re:Regulating the wrong device by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ... Continuity and Change ...

      When something has continuity, its behaviour tends to be unchanged. This is pure babbling that belongs only on a dull and over-rated sit-com.

    12. Re:Regulating the wrong device by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yea... Not sure how to describe the feeling of hypocrisy the Fed displays between agencies that, essentially, are performing opposing actions. It's like a dumber game of russian roulette except they aim at their feet. If we actually had a useful DOJ, and Federal Law enforcement bodies, I don't think we would be in this predicament. Sadly, such groups don't answer to you or I.

  29. I don't doubt it by Dunbal · · Score: 2

    Of course they'll say that. It's not like THEY'RE paying for it.

    --
    Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.
  30. Are some people naive about this? by GeekWithAKnife · · Score: 3, Informative


    We already know secret courts have approved things "for the benfit of the people" to protect them.

    The various elements of the US government are already doing the things they wish to "make legal".

    It's not about terrorism or even about setting a precedent because that already happened "legally", in a court ruling you never knew existed. IMHO this is about saving face and following the "proper channels" to act in a manner that is acceptable by the multitudes.

    You think all the money, time and effort put into mass surveillance and weakening encryption is just going to go away because it's no legal? it wasn't legal to begin with but it happened.

    They want to go through a regular court, backed by "the people" (preferably by popular consensus) that will give them the power they already have so next time it will all be legal and "acceptable" because Joe Sixpack agreed.

    They will try again and again in many guises until it becomes law. It would have been pushed regardless of who you voted for because you have no vote in matters of security. It cannot be discussed because we're being protected in our name, against our will.

    --
    A 'singular oddity' is an event that cannot be explained and only happens when you are alone.
    1. Re:Are some people naive about this? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So my question is, did government learn this try-try-again-to-wear-down-the-masses mentality from lobbyists, or did lobbyists learn it from government?

    2. Re:Are some people naive about this? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ... legal and "acceptable" because Joe Sixpack agreed.

      This is a a poor argument.

      You note that "mass surveillance and weakening encryption" occurred and was illegal. You don't note that it was then made legal, nor that Joe Six-pack never agreed to this. You conclude the government wants to make the current actions legal; an indirect reference to their mass surveillance laws. But suddenly the government needs approval to do illegal things. They didn't need Joe Six-pack last time, why do they need him this time?

  31. Apple is evil by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Apple has already caved to the Chinese government on this exact subject. Apple is only grandstanding here, and understand that the encryption on iPhones is ONLY to protect the walled garden, and has NOTHING AT ALL to do with protecting you from government. This is a marketing stunt, nothing more.

  32. Slashdot Is Pegging My Blood Pressure!! by zenlessyank · · Score: 1

    Slow Down Guys!! I need a nice story on IoT catboxes or maybe a calm bit on programming lava lamps. This government mind-fuck crap needs a rest. PLEASE!!

  33. communism by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    In Soviet Americastan, the encryption is in you.

  34. If your encryption... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ... can be defeated via 'Court System', you're doing it wrong.

  35. How is this different? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    How is this different than judicially ordered cooperation from the manufacturer of a bank vault?
    The manufacturer can only do so much to help. The rest is governed by physics.

  36. Bollocks by wkwilley2 · · Score: 1

    This just gives Apple the push it needs to make the next gen of phones even more secure than the 5S, 6 and 6S.

    The FBI thought they had it easy using Cellibrite to unlock a 5C which doesn't even have a dedicated encryption chip, they've got another thing coming.

    --
    Have you ever fallen asleep at the keybhanusdiog?
  37. A couple of things. by Maelwryth · · Score: 1
    • This looked like a planned advertisement for Apple.
    • They have now proven that any company smaller than Apple (the largest company in the world?) that wants to fight them will lose millions of dollars.
    • This should be an abuse of the law. In that, if I don't like the precedent I am setting I can drop the case while waiting for better circumstances.
    • There is a weird double standard going on where previously they needed to rewrite every law for the Internet and now they are happy to use 19th century law.
    • This has been another example of Lawfare and, if it isn't stopped, it will destroy our legal system.
    --
    I reserve the write to mangle english.
    1. Re:A couple of things. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So, does Apple have to let the case drop.

      Perhaps they can they get it dismissed with prejudice?

    2. Re:A couple of things. by david_thornley · · Score: 1

      Apple can file briefs in defense of any other company that the FBI tries to do this to. It think Apple would much rather help a competitor than see an unfavorable precedent set.

      --
      "When you have eliminated the unacceptable, whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truthiness" - Holmes
  38. walls by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    First, the Great Wall Of Mexico, second the Great Firewall Of Encryption Backdoors. Welcome to Red America.

  39. Soviet Amerika Explained by skywire · · Score: 1

    Who needs pesky laws when you have a court system in your back pocket.

    --
    Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.
  40. FBI exposing US energy/research infrastructure by WillAffleckUW · · Score: 1

    The FBI hacks expose the US energy and research infrastructure to backdoor and frontdoor hacks that are now being used by state and non-state players, Russia, China, and ISIL, to attack us.

    SHUT DOWN THESE HACKS!

    --
    -- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
  41. Can't tell a loss when he hears it by gurps_npc · · Score: 1

    Apple refused to sabotage their equipment. The courts refused to order them to do so.

    They proved they didn't need to sabotage the software. Demonstrating lie to their own words.

    Now this idiot thinks he can still win? The more he pushes, the more we will push back. Better for him to leave it up in the air without a legal ruling declaring his desired actions unconstitional.

    If he pushes more, we will push back and he will find himself wearing uncomfortable restrictions ordered by the SCOTUS.

    --
    excitingthingstodo.blogspot.com
  42. Not exactly by Etherwalk · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Did the FBI just get one judge to issue an illegal order, then they withdrew the case while that order was under appeal, and claim a precedent-setting win?

    Claiming a win? Sure, because you have people with careers having the biggest-profile case in their life who want to keep their jobs and careers from taking a black mark. Realistically it was sort of a draw and sort of a "let's back the hell off because we might lose this one right now..."

    But not exactly on the order. The order wasn't illegal; it's just that it basically issued but Apple could challenge it legally. The briefing to the magistrate judge (which was basically the government vs. the entire tech industry, and was maybe the most extensively briefed issue at the magistrate level in history), would have been the place where it was decided in the first instance, with appeals from there to the district court judge, the court of appeals, and then a petition for (and likely grant of) a writ of certiorari from the Supreme Court, where we would have gotten an answer that would probably change when Congress changed the law.

  43. Use of quote marks. by SeaFox · · Score: 1

    I'm not sure why "court system" is in quotes in the headline, but I like how it implies the courts are a sham really when it comes to the government wanting to get its way to fight "terrorism".

  44. Here is the problem for the FBI: by fredrated · · Score: 2

    the justice department has become the terrorists.

  45. FBI == a tool for Gay extortionists by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    FBI == a tool for the Gay (Homosexual) extortionists who work there, this is an undeniable fact.

    The FBI does not represent the states (read federal). The FBI's interests are in direct conflict with state governments. Especially their homosexual agenda.

  46. Dirty FBI! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    They withdrew because Apple can afford to defend itself. They will try to set precedent on some other case where the defendant isn't the wealthiest Corp in the world.

  47. This is how you turn a defeat into a victory. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This is how the FBI/DOJ turns their utter defeat into a victory. They ran a shitty legal argument against Apple through a stupid judge, got the initial order, and then drop the whole case before Apple is able to appeal it up through the court system and get the shitty argument overturned. Now they can claim "precedent" because nobody was allowed to counter-argue during the appeals.

    It's the equivalent to cutting off the microphone for your guest after you accuse them of terrorism and before they can reply to explain how you're a liar.

  48. Huh? by drew_kime · · Score: 1

    But hey, shoot up a private party, and as long as you have a funny-sounding name and vaguely brownish skin color, then the government wants to protect you, at any cost.

    So the government protects you if you're a minority. And that's bad.

    Of course, double standard -- if you're a white christian male and you shoot up a school full of kids, the response is "hey, shit happens", and the government does nothing.

    Really, this country is fucked. Completely.

    But the government protects you if you're a white Christian male. And that's bad.

    So wait ... what was your point again?

    --
    Nope, no sig
  49. ANAL TEARING by djent · · Score: 1

    FBI: We will use the courts to gain access (we will bludgeon you into submission) to build on this great win. Now if you will excuse me I need to get this anal tearing repaired.

  50. "Again"? by pubwvj · · Score: 1

    "US Says It Would Use 'Court System' Again To Defeat Encryption"

    Yet, the failed. There is no "Again" since they did not use the court system to defeat the encryption. This is all just PR and spin propaganda about their failure and intimidation tactics. I'd love to see the Supreme Court reach down and nail this government vampire with a wooden stake to kill government overreach and abuse of powers. Dreaming...

    1. Re:"Again"? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      is it tareing or tearing, or teering..
      anal tears (expulsion of fluid from the anal cavity) unexpectedly

      how about an award for most developed rectal muscles?

  51. Not The US. It's Liberal Democrats. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Liberalism is a mental disorder.

  52. Mandated Backdoor by jraff2 · · Score: 1

    If and when the Gov. gets this mandated back door it immediately takes on the responsibility to ensure that everyone who purchase said encryption software has in fact a reliable and safe encryption application. As such if and when said application's has been compromised the Gov. will immediately, not weeks, months or years later but as soon as it has been broken, pay for a new version with new encryption keys for everyone who purchased said application. The Gov. wants a back door to an application then the Gov. takes on the responsibility for ensuring the application is available to all users. If it's broke the Gov. fixes it for free!

  53. this is very non-sensical.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    OK ladies and gents,,

    after all is sed and dun,
    whats the outcome here??
    whats the value of the information gained after entry?
    How about, does the value or amount of info gathered outweigh the effort, $ and time wasted fighting/defending this issue?
    whom are the real winners?
    and Whom are the real wieners?

    I even wonder if the info gathered would outweigh the effort and time putting this rebuttal together?

    bla bla bla,, some one has to have something to do, Right?

  54. Queue Iago... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Oh, THAT'S a surprise! I think I'm gonna have a heart attack and DIE of NOT SURPRISE.

    Captcha = repress, how... fitting.

  55. Amazing. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Its amazing to me that these people are such sumbags, everyone knows they are scumbags doing scummy things and yet no matter how blatantly scummy they are, these scumbags continue to operate.

    P.S. Scumbags.

    Yours Truly, A Non Scumbag

  56. Defeated? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    How exactly did they use the "court system" or any legal system to defeat encryption? A third-party was able to [so says FBI] access the data on said iPhone but unless they were legally compelled to help the FBI again how did they use the "court system" to defeat encryption?

    1. Re:Defeated? by AHuxley · · Score: 1

      In the past AC the US and 5 eye nations got that access under PRISM and a lot of other methods for access.
      "Do We Need A Bigger SIGINT Truck?" note the term "phone-a-friends"
      https://www.eff.org/document/2...
      Handles Encrypted Traffic
      https://www.eff.org/document/2...
      VPN
      https://www.eff.org/document/2...
      and ICREACH https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... that gave access to but the US still had to cover the origins in open court.
      The color of law change is all the once secure, hidden methods and tools will be for sale by contractors down at the federal and very local city/state federal task force level to use in any open court for any reason. Any level of government will have the decryption tools, even just to look and see if they feel they want to later build a case.
      Why rent a system of access tools to just a few levels of the mil or federal government when a huge list of cities and states will have new funding on the table too for local courts needing digital support services?
      So that US "court system" will now get to decrypt any phone sold in the USA or connected to a US phone network by conscripting the designers/software creators.
      A brand will have to design in junk encryption with the US gov getting a masterkey over every generation of product.
      The phone can then become the origin of a case or informant in a public court thanks to a gov demanded master key to all US phones. No need to build up a wider case, the phone will tell all and no encryption sold will be allowed to keep data secure for any reason.
      The tool sets will collect voice prints, mapping and tracking offer decryption of all data on the phone for any reason.
      Walk into an area and your phone tells all. Travel, walk, drive, any phone will be scanned for contacts and any and all data, not just wider telco network details.
      The gov masterkeys will then be sold or used by ex and former contractors for any reason with anyone with the cash.
      The end result of junk court mandated gov encryption is anyone can do anything they like on the wider telco system down to the now decrypted users data.
      Greek wiretapping case 2004–05 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...–05
      SISMI-Telecom scandal https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

      --
      Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
  57. Would They Lie More Next Time? by Greyfox · · Score: 1

    They lied about just about everything this time around -- the number of phones they wanted unlocked, the fact that there wasn't any alternative to having Apple write some new software for it, whatever that shit was about a deadly cyber pathogen on the phone, and it still looked pretty bad for them. Clearly they just didn't lie enough. Next time they should say that if the phone's not unlocked, everyone will get super AIDs. Maybe that would be enough for them to get their way with their clearly illegal and unconstitutional demands.

    --

    I'm trying to teach myself to set people on fire with my mind... Is it hot in here?

  58. Its a race to the bottom. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Why is it that we keep giving more power to the government but all we seem to get is more terrorist attacks?
    100% absolute control of the people, then we'll be safe.

  59. encryption by Smiddi · · Score: 1

    I think that all our data is protected from other people via encryption (much like locking the front door our house) is in the interest of public safety. Not creating a "skeleton key".

  60. Soon... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    .. they will force you to decrypt your brain too !

  61. Not True by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The FBI did not win any precedent in this situation. They withdrew from the case so no precedent. The FBI and the Justice department will not hesitate to pull the same stunt again. A significant number of software companies have already moved out of the US. Apple becoming a Belgium company is not impossible.

  62. My question exactly! by sabbede · · Score: 1

    They didn't win shit! Withdrawing the case is akin to admitting defeat, making their claim of a win total nonsense.

  63. Apples and Oranges by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Is this like me using my "mad foo skillz" to defeat a charging rhino?

  64. Obama Faces Growing Momentum to Support Widespread by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Obama Faces Growing Momentum to Support Widespread Encryption, by Ellen Nakashima and Andrea Peterson

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/tech-trade-agencies-push-to-disavow-law-requiring-decryption-of-phones/2015/09/16/1fca5f72-5adf-11e5-b38e-06883aacba64_story.html

  65. US Safer with Fully Encrypted Phones: Former NSA/C by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    US Safer with Fully Encrypted Phones: Former NSA/CIA Chief, by Tom
    DiChristopher, originally published on February 23, 2016

    http://www.cnbc.com/2016/02/23/us-safer-with-fully-encrypted-phones-former-nsa-cia-chief-michael-hayden.html

  66. Encryption, Privacy Are Larger Issues Than Fightin by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Encryption, Privacy Are Larger Issues Than Fighting Terrorism,
    Clarke Says, by David Greene

    http://www.npr.org/2016/03/14/470347719/encryption-and-privacy-are-larger-issues-than-fighting-terrorism-clarke-says

    David Greene talks to former national security official Richard Clarke

  67. 47 U.S.C. 1002(b)(3) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    47 U.S.C. 1002(b)(3)

    (3) Encryption
    A telecommunications carrier shall not be responsible for decrypting, or ensuring the government’s ability to decrypt, any communication encrypted by a subscriber or customer, unless the encryption was provided by the carrier and the carrier possesses the information necessary to decrypt the communication.

  68. Oh good. The "Court System" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Most of the assholes associated with the Court System don't know what an Operating System is... Let's talk about Ferguson who sat on death row for 31 years for raping and killing16 girls. Let's fund that.

    Or when my friend was shot by a cop. The cops that weren't even on shift that night "witnessed" him attack the cop with a knife. 6. Really? It's the good 'ol boy system and unless you are a Free Mason or in that tight circle of knuckle-heads, you will lose.