“FBI Director James Comey hinted at an event in London on Thursday that the FBI paid more than $1 million to break into the locked iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino attackers,” The Associated Press reports.
“Comey was asked during a question-and-answer session at an Aspen Security Forum event how much the FBI paid for the method from an unidentified third-party to access the phone,” AP reports.
“He did not give a precise number but said it was ‘more than I will make in the remainder of this job, which is seven years and four months, for sure,'” AP reports. “He added that he thought the payment was ‘worth it.'”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: It was “worth it” to find nothing of significance, according to the FBI’s idiot in chief, James Comey. In other words, a typical U.S. federal government return on your hard-earned tax dollars. Down the endless shitter they go!
As we wrote last week: Why would the terrorists go to the trouble of smashing their personal phones to bits, but leave their government-issued iPhone just fine and dandy? Because they wanted a tech company to have to fight for privacy rights against U.S. government halfwits like James Comey? Or because there was nothing of importance on it?
U.S. Citizens: Never forget that you funded the FBI’s purchase of this iPhone backdoor and the iPhone’s contents. DEMAND TO SEE WHAT YOU PAID FOR.
Hey, FBI: We want to see those pix of cafeteria trays that we paid for! — MacDailyNews, March 29, 2016
SEE ALSO:
Nothing significant found on San Bernardino’s terrorist’s iPhone – April 14, 2016
Apple responds to FBI: ‘This case should have never been brought’ – March 29, 2016
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Readers “silverhawk1” and “Arline M.” for the heads up.]
WE THE PEOPLE WANT OUR MONEY BACK!
A small price to pay to keep FIB looking within those of that nation rather than trying to abuse citizens of the free and civilized world. Thank goodness their elections last so long, their infighting is a great boon for global peace and security.
It’s really too bad it was just the one iPhone.
Eat shït and die, Comey.
After January 20th, “you’re fired.”
To whom do we complain when we know of an organization who has admittedly provided over a million bucks to a black hat, potentially terrorist, group of individuals?
Way to go Tim. Now bounty has been set. Apple is not the only place in the world with smart people. And Tim, great job, even 60 minutes drags out an iPhone for demonstration purposes, but they do say all cell phones. Yeah, but all I really remember is that insecure iPhone.
Funny too how more and more of the faithful mac users are questioning pricing on two and a half year old tech in some of the macs.
You again, anonymous coward? How many nicks have you faked today?
And yes, I still want to know who pays you to troll around here.
Still hating the truth DEREK CURRIE, if that is the name you want to use, today. Fine. You and a box of rocks still possess the same brain power.
Oh yes, I’m easily bated to defend myself, rock.
He always uses that name, which you would know if you were a regular on this forum, BOB…
🐂💩🚽👶
BOB, you spelled your name backwards, again!
Hey Bob, where is Neil?
He thought it was worth it? To confirm what everybody knew already, that there was nothing there?
If it was his own money, I guarantee he wouldn’t have wasted it. I wonder if there are any kickbacks involved?
Hiram,
I suppose you could see it that way. It reminds me of a situation we had locally. I wasn’t personally involved, but knew all the people involved:
Wife was brutally killed. The husband claimed he had been at work when the crime occurred, but “everybody knew already” that he did it. The Sheriff and DA focussed exclusively on the husband and ignored evidence that would have led to another viable suspect. There was no point in wasting taxpayer money “to confirm what everybody knew already.” The medical examiner was told that the crime occurred before the husband left for work and he obligingly came up with junk science to support the hypothesis. Nobody got a second opinion because it would have wasted taxpayer money. The husband was duly convicted.
Twenty years later, the DA’s Office was forced to retest some “irrelevant evidence” after fighting the waste of money for years. It led to the other suspect who had never even been investigated before. During his twenty years of freedom, he murdered at least one other woman. Husband was finally freed… minus twenty years of his life.
Forcing Apple to help them was absolutely an overreach, but the FBI really did have an obligation to pursue every possible lead, even if “everybody knew already” what had happened and pursuing those leads appears like a waste of money.
The FBI did this to support their idiotic battle against the privacy of personal data.
They know people will be shocked by the $ million they paid, but that is why they paid so much. They probably offered that.
The FBI wants the general public to reach the conclusion that it’s better to install back doors than pay a million bucks every time they have to unlock a phone.
The FBI has a lot more experience managing public opinion than most other agencies. They know the public remembers a round number like a million.
Smart but unwise.
A million dollar ad campaign against strong encryption – at tax payers expense.
OOC: Out Of Control. *sigh*
Way to go, they sure have taxpayer money waste down to a science.
Now that the price has been set, if Apple is ever forced to do this they know who much compensation they should be asking for for each iPhone they have to do this to.