The famous whistleblower currently residing in Russia has waded into the arguments over the attempt of the Federal Bureau of Investigation to force iPhone maker to help it unlock the device of one of the San Bernardino shooters, saying that only Apple is able to bypass certain protections on the smartphone.
The former NSA agent expressed his support for an American Civil Liberties Union report saying that the claims of the US law enforcement authorities in the case were fraudulent. Aside from Snowden, other figures from Silicon Valley spoke up: for example, Bill Gates said that a discussion was needed about when the government should be able to collect data.
However, Microsoft’s founder refused to take any side of the debate, despite seemingly supporting the government and then backtracking. The software giant later filed an amicus brief backing Apple against the FBI.
Of course, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak spoke out against the US law enforcement authorities, saying that the Federal Bureau of Investigation “picked the lamest case you ever could.
” He explained that Verizon turned over all the phone records and text messages, but the FBI wanted to take another phone that the San Bernardino shooters didn’t destroy – their work phone.
Wozniak said it was “lame and worthless” to expect there’s something on the phone and to get the iPhone maker to expose it.
We should remind you that Apple’s clash with the US government comes to a head in the United States in March when the parties will meet in federal court to debate whether Apple should be required to weaken security settings on the iPhone of one of the San Bernardino shooters.