Apple Can’t Unlock your iPhone for the Police, even with a Search Warrant

Apple Can’t Unlock Your iPhone for the Police, Even With a Search Warrant

Apple Can’t Unlock your iPhone for the Police, even with a Search WarrantIn the wake of the new mobile operating system iOS 8, Apple says it has made it impossible for the company to unlock phones and turn data over from iPhones and iPads to police; even when they have a warrant.

According to a report, Apple has drawn this line in the sand as other tech companies try to deflect allegations that they have participated in government efforts to collect user information. The latest encryption has been reworked in a way that prevents the company, as well as anyone but the device’s owner, from gaining access to the data stored on smartphones and tablets.

It does this at the moment of passcode creation. Apple used to maintain the ability to unlock some content for legally binding police requests but will no longer so via iOS 8.

“Unlike our competitors, Apple cannot bypass your passcode and therefore cannot access this data,” Apple said on its website. “So it’s not technically feasible for us to respond to government warrants for the extraction of this data from devices in their possession running iOS 8.”

The only Apple phones police will be capable of breaking into going forward are those that are too old to run the new operating system. This new change doesn’t apply to the iCloud, where Apple still has the legal responsibility to turn over user data that is stored elsewhere.

“This is a great move,” said Christopher Soghoian, principal technologist for the American Civil Liberties Union, in a report. “Particularly after the Snowden disclosures, Apple seems to understand that consumers want companies to put their privacy first. “However, I suspect there are going to be a lot of unhappy law enforcement officials.”

About the Author

Matt Holden is an Associate Content Editor for 1105 Media, Inc. He received his MFA and BA in journalism from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. He currently writes and edits for Occupational Health & Safety magazine, and Security Today.

Featured

  • Video Surveillance Trends to Watch

    With more organizations adding newer capabilities to their surveillance systems, it’s always important to remember the “basics” of system configuration and deployment, as well as the topline benefits of continually emerging technologies like AI and the cloud. Read Now

  • New Report Reveals Top Trends Transforming Access Controller Technology

    Mercury Security, a provider in access control hardware and open platform solutions, has published its Trends in Access Controllers Report, based on a survey of over 450 security professionals across North America and Europe. The findings highlight the controller’s vital role in a physical access control system (PACS), where the device not only enforces access policies but also connects with readers to verify user credentials—ranging from ID badges to biometrics and mobile identities. With 72% of respondents identifying the controller as a critical or important factor in PACS design, the report underscores how the choice of controller platform has become a strategic decision for today’s security leaders. Read Now

  • Overwhelming Majority of CISOs Anticipate Surge in Cyber Attacks Over the Next Three Years

    An overwhelming 98% of chief information security officers (CISOs) expect a surge in cyber attacks over the next three years as organizations face an increasingly complex and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven digital threat landscape. This is according to new research conducted among 300 CISOs, chief information officers (CIOs), and senior IT professionals by CSC1, the leading provider of enterprise-class domain and domain name system (DNS) security. Read Now

  • ASIS International Introduces New ANSI-Approved Investigations Standard

    • Guard Services
  • Cloud Security Alliance Brings AI-Assisted Auditing to Cloud Computing

    The Cloud Security Alliance (CSA), the world’s leading organization dedicated to defining standards, certifications, and best practices to help ensure a secure cloud computing environment, today introduced an innovative addition to its suite of Security, Trust, Assurance and Risk (STAR) Registry assessments with the launch of Valid-AI-ted, an AI-powered, automated validation system. The new tool provides an automated quality check of assurance information of STAR Level 1 self-assessments using state-of-the-art LLM technology. Read Now

New Products

  • AC Nio

    AC Nio

    Aiphone, a leading international manufacturer of intercom, access control, and emergency communication products, has introduced the AC Nio, its access control management software, an important addition to its new line of access control solutions.

  • Compact IP Video Intercom

    Viking’s X-205 Series of intercoms provide HD IP video and two-way voice communication - all wrapped up in an attractive compact chassis.

  • 4K Video Decoder

    3xLOGIC’s VH-DECODER-4K is perfect for use in organizations of all sizes in diverse vertical sectors such as retail, leisure and hospitality, education and commercial premises.