I think the tweet and the article are misinformed. As you stated, Apple has said many times in the past that they don’t have the capability to unlock phones, and refuse to develop the capability to. When a subpoena is provided Apple provides any requested data from iCloud backups - if they have them.
He has historically shown himself to be a man of principle - there hasn’t been anything to say that his stance has changed. If anything Apple’s recent push on Privacy and Security just reinforces this (See the new Lockdown mode).
That’s not to say iPhone unlocks aren’t possible - they are, the most famous tool being one provided by Israeli security company Cellebrite. However depending on the device this either works by exploiting bugs and zero days, or by brute forcing.
But to say Apple came and unlocked the device I firmly don’t believe. They are simply misinformed in my opinion. I think it’s more likely they provided the data from iCloud backups and the police being non-technically minded made an incorrect statement.
mrhobbles t1_j26b3cs wrote
Reply to comment by brizzodaizzo in Does apple do that ? by isahilkumar
I think the tweet and the article are misinformed. As you stated, Apple has said many times in the past that they don’t have the capability to unlock phones, and refuse to develop the capability to. When a subpoena is provided Apple provides any requested data from iCloud backups - if they have them.
Tim Cook is famously on the record as saying that he considers it a breach of civil liberties, as well as a massive compromise of the iPhones security to develop such ability. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/feb/22/tim-cook-apple-refusal-unlock-iphone-fbi-civil-liberties
He has historically shown himself to be a man of principle - there hasn’t been anything to say that his stance has changed. If anything Apple’s recent push on Privacy and Security just reinforces this (See the new Lockdown mode).
That’s not to say iPhone unlocks aren’t possible - they are, the most famous tool being one provided by Israeli security company Cellebrite. However depending on the device this either works by exploiting bugs and zero days, or by brute forcing.
But to say Apple came and unlocked the device I firmly don’t believe. They are simply misinformed in my opinion. I think it’s more likely they provided the data from iCloud backups and the police being non-technically minded made an incorrect statement.