Appeal made
The Justice Department asked a Brooklyn federal court on Monday to reverse a decision that said Apple Inc. wasn’t required to pry open a locked iPhone.
WASHINGTON — Calling a New York judge’s ruling “an unprecedented limitation” on judicial authority, the Justice Department asked a Brooklyn federal court on Monday to reverse a decision that said Apple Inc. wasn’t required to pry open a locked iPhone.
The government’s 45-page brief comes a week after U.S. Magistrate Judge James Orenstein issued his decision in a routine drug case, dealing a blow to the Obama administration in its battle with the tech giant over privacy and public safety.
Government lawyers called their Monday request routine, arguing that the case is not about asking Apple to do anything new, or to create a “master key” to access all iPhones.
Apple has opposed the government’s move in a separate case involving the shooter who killed 14 people Dec. 2 in San Bernardino, Calif.
Apple’s pushback has fueled a national debate over digital privacy rights and national security. Apple had previously assailed the government’s move, saying U.S. officials were seeking “dangerous power” through the courts and trampling on the company’s constitutional rights.
The Brooklyn case involves a government request that is less onerous for Apple and its phone technology. The so-called extraction technique works on an older iPhone operating system and has been used dozens of times before to assist investigators.