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IPFS News Link • Technology: Software

The Conscription of Apple's Software Engineers

• http://www.theatlantic.com, Conor Friedersdorf

When software engineers at Apple designed the iPhone's security features, they labored knowing that millions were relying on them to safeguard their privacy. Insofar as their efforts succeeded, they would stymie spying by jealous exes; stop hackers from emptying bank accounts; prevent blackmailers from stealing nude photos; and thwart authoritarian governments from identifying dissidents.

San Bernardino County issued secure iPhones to employees including Syed Rizwan Farook, the health department inspector who, along with his wife, murdered 14 people.

The FBI understandably wants to snoop through his device.

But it ran up against Apple's security features. Older iPhones require a four-digit passcode. And entering the wrong code 10 times automatically wipes them clean.

On Tuesday, a federal judge ordered Apple to write malware to load onto the  dead terrorist's phone, so that the FBI can keep guessing new codes electronically, forcing entry without causing the device to delete all the data that it contains.


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