iPhone Encryption Hampers Investigation of Texas Shooter, Says FBI (chron.com)

"FBI officials said Tuesday they have been stymied in their efforts to unlock the cellphone of the man who shot and killed at least 26 people at a church here on Sunday," reports the Houston Chronicle. Slashdot reader Anon E. Muss writes: The police obtained a search warrant for the phone, but so far they've been unable to unlock it. The phone has been sent to the FBI, in the hope that they can break in... If it is secure, and the FBI can't open it, expect all hell to break loose. The usual idiots (e.g. politicians) will soon be ranting hysterically about the evil tech industry, and how they're refusing to help law enforcement.
FBI special agent Christopher Combs complained to the Chronicle that "law enforcement increasingly cannot get in to these phones."

A law professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology argues there's other sources of information besides a phone, and police officers might recognize this with better training. As just one example, Apple says the FBI could've simply just used the dead shooter's fingerprint to open his iPhone. But after 48 hours, the iPhone's fingerprint ID stops working.

Comments

Re:What is there ti investigate?

[Anonymous Coward]

It's obvious. There is some retarded theory going around that you can find "triggers". Once you find these triggers, you can eliminate them and these problems won't happen anymore. Everyone wants to know "What set him off?" It's really the height of stupidity to believe that you can find a single, simple reason for something like this.

Re:If they are such a threat

[mishehu]

Actually that is a strange statistic that I'm kind of curious about - what is the ratio of ownership of iPhones versus Android phones in the hands of people who have perpetrated such crimes.

Re:Try police work not phone unlocking

[Paradise Pete]

hus they don't ask Apple for help since that removes the ability to whine about it.

Not only didn't they ask for help, but Apple reached out to them immediately and they refused the help . Perhaps because they had been waiting for an opportunity to complain about encryption.

Re:Try police work not phone unlocking

[tlhIngan]

I think they whole reason FBI is whining is for political purposes. They want the laws to allow them to search more with fewer impediments. Thus they don't ask Apple for help since that removes the ability to whine about it.

That said, why the 48 hour time? Does that mean living people must use the fingerprint sensor every 2 days or they're locked out?

Oh, it's political all right. Apple offered the FBI help to unlock the phone. In fact, Apple reached out to the FBI for this - presuming the killer used Touch ID, it would be easy to unlock the phone! (Remember, there are a few ways to bypass a fingerprint sensor using fake fingerprints).

But the FBI stalled and stalled until the window closed. You can bet it's on purpose - Apple was offering, pre-emptively, to help them (probably conjuring up a fake finger to fool the sensor). Hell, I'm sure the FBI has access to PLENTY of labs that can do this, too!

So no, the FBI has INTENTIONALLY refused Apple's help. Why? Because the phone is not important at all. The FBI couldn't care less about the phone's contents. The political fight to remove encryption is the real target

The phone's data is unimportant. There is no evidence on the phone the FBI wants, guaranteed. Because if there was, why else would they refuse Apple's help? This is an emotional plea to get the public saying the evil phone companies are keeping them from doing their jobs.

Apple offered to help. The FBI deliberately ignored them. The FBI is who should account for the loss of evidence - they are the ones who deliberately destroyed it.