The iPod was reportedly used to communicate about the murder of an Arkansas couple.
The FBI has cracked the iOS encryption code, and is apparently now ready to share its techniques with other law enforcement agencies.
Government officials on Wednesday agreed to assist an Arkansas attorney in unlocking an iPhone and iPod belonging to two teenagers accused of killing a local couple.
According to the Associated Press, the feds consented to a request from Faulkner County prosecutor Cody Hiland and the Conway Police Department, which are investigating the murder of Robert and Patricia Cogdell.
They were allegedly killed by 18-year-old Hunter Drexler, who the couple raised as their grandson, and 15-year-old Justin Staton. It remains unclear what the prosecutor expects to find on the teens' gadgets; Staton reportedly told third parties that he used the iPod to communicate about the homicide plans. The news comes after the FBI on Monday said it had bypassed the password on an iPhone 5c that belonged to San Bernardino shooter Syed Rizwan Farook. Previously, the agency said it needed Apple to create an alternate operating system in order to crack the phone.
Apple refused, prompting a national debate on what the feds can demand from tech companies. This is probably not the last time law enforcement will request access to phones and tablets, though.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) this week uncovered 63 confirmed cases—most involving drug crimes—in which the government used the All Writs Act to compel Apple and/or Google to assist in accessing data stored on a mobile device. Those cases—and then some—are highlighted in the ACLU's interactive map (above). "There are even more cases out there," ACLU attorney Eliza Sweren-Becker wrote in a blog post. "In addition to the 63 confirmed cases, we know of up to 13 additional cases, which are reflected on the map. "The FBI wants you to think that it will use the All Writs Act only in extraordinary cases to force tech companies to assist in the unlocking of phones," Sweren-Becker continued. "Turns out, these kinds of orders have actually become quite ordinary."
According to the Associated Press, the feds consented to a request from Faulkner County prosecutor Cody Hiland and the Conway Police Department, which are investigating the murder of Robert and Patricia Cogdell.
They were allegedly killed by 18-year-old Hunter Drexler, who the couple raised as their grandson, and 15-year-old Justin Staton. It remains unclear what the prosecutor expects to find on the teens' gadgets; Staton reportedly told third parties that he used the iPod to communicate about the homicide plans. The news comes after the FBI on Monday said it had bypassed the password on an iPhone 5c that belonged to San Bernardino shooter Syed Rizwan Farook. Previously, the agency said it needed Apple to create an alternate operating system in order to crack the phone.
Apple refused, prompting a national debate on what the feds can demand from tech companies. This is probably not the last time law enforcement will request access to phones and tablets, though.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) this week uncovered 63 confirmed cases—most involving drug crimes—in which the government used the All Writs Act to compel Apple and/or Google to assist in accessing data stored on a mobile device. Those cases—and then some—are highlighted in the ACLU's interactive map (above). "There are even more cases out there," ACLU attorney Eliza Sweren-Becker wrote in a blog post. "In addition to the 63 confirmed cases, we know of up to 13 additional cases, which are reflected on the map. "The FBI wants you to think that it will use the All Writs Act only in extraordinary cases to force tech companies to assist in the unlocking of phones," Sweren-Becker continued. "Turns out, these kinds of orders have actually become quite ordinary."