Since the FBI dropped its lawsuit earlier this week against Apple after they managed to crack into the San Bernardino shooter’s iPhone all by themselves, the world has been waiting for details with growing trepidation.
Would they reveal how they did it? (No.) Would they at least tell Apple how they did it, thereby allowing them to fix this flaw in their technology? (No.) And now they knew how to do it, would they break into other iPhones?
The defendant told AP that they were “not concerned about anything on that phone”, but prosecutors believe the iPod may contain damning evidence, including communications about the homicide plans.
It doesn’t look like this will be an isolated case, either; NPR reports that the FBI were flooded with requests from prosecutors ’round American after their victorious announcement.
It’s unclear at this stage if the FBI will use the same method to crack the iPod / iPhone, or even what that remotely looks like. An Israeli newspaper reported that the FBI had been assisted by an Israeli company called Cellebrite, but anonymous law enforcement officials told USA Today this was straight up not correct.
The point is, it’s a great terrible day for privacy all round, really.
