“Last year, the battle between Apple and the FBI dominated headlines. The case revolved around an iPhone, belonging to one of the San Bernardino terrorists,” Jessica Kelly reports for NewsTalk.com. “The FBI eventually managed to gain access to the phone, without the help of Apple.”
“Three news organisations have asked a US judge to force the government to reveal the cost of the technology to unlock the iPhone,” Kelly reports. “The FBI has never named the security firm or group of hackers who helped unlock the phone.”
Read more in the full article here.
“The Associated Press, Vice Media and Gannett — the parent company of USA Today — have filed suit against the FBI with the U.S. District Court in Washington in hopes of pushing the organization to comply with Freedom of Information Act requests,” A.J. Dellinger reports for International Business Times. “In January, the FBI released more than 100 pages of documents regarding the hacked iPhone — done in response to legal pressure by the same news organizations — but the pages were heavily redacted and provided little context. While the document shows that multiple contractors bid on the job, it does not disclose who won the bid or how much the FBI paid for its service.”
Dellinger reports, “‘While it is undisputed that the vendor developed the iPhone access tool, the government has identified no rational reason why knowing the vendor’s identity is linked in any way to the substance of the tool, much less how such knowledge would reveal any information about the tool’s application,’ lawyers for the news organizations wrote in the filing. ‘Release of this information goes to the very heart of the Freedom of Information Act’s purpose, allowing the public to assess government activity – here, the decision to pay public funds to an outside entity in possession of a tool that can compromise the digital security of millions of Americans.'”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Reports have claimed it was Cellebrite and that it cost the FBI upwards of $1.34 million to hack into that iPhone, but neither has ever been confirmed. We’ll see how this FOIA request progresses.
SEE ALSO:
FBI wants to get into locked Apple iPhone of Minnesota Islamic terrorist Dahir Adan – October 7, 2016
Apple CEO Tim Cook touts encryption at Senator Orrin Hatch’s Utah Tech Tour – October 3, 2016
Feckless FBI unable to unlock iPhone, even with a ‘fingerprint unlock warrant’ – May 12, 2016
FBI’s Comey says agency paid more than $1 million to access San Bernadino iPhone – April 21, 2016
Nothing significant found on San Bernardino’s terrorist’s iPhone – April 14, 2016
FBI director confirms hack only works on older iPhones that lack Apple’s Secure Enclave – April 7, 2016
Apple responds to FBI: ‘This case should have never been brought’ – March 29, 2016