A few victims of the San Bernardino shooting will file a legal brief in March in support of the US government’s move to force Apple Inc. to unlock the encrypted iPhone belonging to one of the shooters. Lawyer Stephen Larson, who is representing the victims, made the announcement on Sunday. He said the victims were targeted by terrorists, and “they need to know why, how this could happen”, Reuters reported.
He added that the Justice Department and local prosecutors approached him last week seeking representation for the victims, before the case became public. A spokesperson for the department declined to comment on the matter. Larson did not disclose the number of victims he is representing. However, the victims’ involvement gives the federal government an advantage in its fight against Apple.
Apple is fighting a court order directing it to help the government hack into an encrypted phone belonging to Syed Farook, one of the shooters who opened fire at a social agency in Southern California. The ruling requires Apple to provide the Federal Bureau of Investigation with software that will allow them to bypass a security feature built into most iPhones, which destroys all data on the phone if there are more than 10 failed attempts to unlock it. However, Apple CEO Time Cook said last week that in the wrong hands, anyone in possession of this software will be able to unlock any iPhone.
Director of the FBI James Comey said in a letter released on Sunday that the agency was merely seeking justice for the victims and investigating other possible threats. Earlier, the FBI has claimed Apple was exaggerating the security risks in a marketing move aimed at boosting iPhone sales.
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