NYCLU Applauds Ruling Denying Government Request to Unlock Apple iPhone

A federal judge today denied the government’s request to order Apple to unlock an iPhone in a criminal investigation. The government had asked for the order under the All Writs Act, a law that is more than 200 years old. The judge ruled that such an order would go farther than the law allows.

The following statement can be attributed to NYCLU Executive Director, Donna Lieberman:

“The court’s ruling is good news for privacy and the security of everyone’s information. The court correctly recognized that Congress has not given law enforcement the power that it was seeking to force Apple to assist its investigation. It’s important to recognize that if the government can force companies to weaken the security of their products, then the security of our communications is in jeopardy.”