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| Lee Rigby's family criticises Apple policy | Lee Rigby's family criticises Apple policy |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The family of Fusilier Lee Rigby, who was murdered by extremists in 2013, has criticised Apple for opposing a court order. | The family of Fusilier Lee Rigby, who was murdered by extremists in 2013, has criticised Apple for opposing a court order. |
| On Wednesday, Apple said modifying its software to help the FBI access data on San Bernardino gunman Syed Rizwan Farook's device would be "dangerous". | On Wednesday, Apple said modifying its software to help the FBI access data on San Bernardino gunman Syed Rizwan Farook's device would be "dangerous". |
| Mr Rigby's uncle Ray McClure said the company was "protecting a murderer's privacy at the cost of public safety". | Mr Rigby's uncle Ray McClure said the company was "protecting a murderer's privacy at the cost of public safety". |
| But a number of tech leaders and privacy advocates have backed Apple. | But a number of tech leaders and privacy advocates have backed Apple. |
| They include Google's chief executive Sundar Pichai who tweeted that requiring companies to enable the hacking of their customer devices "could be a troubling precedent". | They include Google's chief executive Sundar Pichai who tweeted that requiring companies to enable the hacking of their customer devices "could be a troubling precedent". |
| Whatsapp's founder Jan Koum added that he admired Apple's chief executive Time Cook, and added: "Today our freedom and our liberty is at stake." | |
| Mr McClure, who contacted the BBC after reading Apple's statement, said he thought Apple's approach was "short-sighted". | |
| In December, Syed Rizwan Farook and his wife Tashfeen Malik were shot after killing 14 people in California. | In December, Syed Rizwan Farook and his wife Tashfeen Malik were shot after killing 14 people in California. |
| US officials said Malik pledged allegiance to the so-called Islamic State in a social media post on the day of the shooting. | US officials said Malik pledged allegiance to the so-called Islamic State in a social media post on the day of the shooting. |
| Apple had been ordered to help the FBI circumvent security software on Farook's iPhone, which the FBI said contained crucial information. | Apple had been ordered to help the FBI circumvent security software on Farook's iPhone, which the FBI said contained crucial information. |
| But the company said it would oppose the court order because it "set a dangerous precedent". | But the company said it would oppose the court order because it "set a dangerous precedent". |
| "Valuable evidence is on that smartphone and Apple is denying the FBI access to that information," Mr McClure told the BBC. | |
| "If a court issued a warrant in the UK or United States to search somebody's house, you wouldn't stop them, you would allow them in - why should a smartphone be any different? | "If a court issued a warrant in the UK or United States to search somebody's house, you wouldn't stop them, you would allow them in - why should a smartphone be any different? |
| "If Mr Cook has no sympathy for terrorists, why is he stopping the FBI accessing those phone records?" | "If Mr Cook has no sympathy for terrorists, why is he stopping the FBI accessing those phone records?" |
| Apple has not indicated whether fulfilling the court order would be physically possible. | |
| In an open letter on Wednesday, Tim Cook said Apple did cooperate with law enforcement. | In an open letter on Wednesday, Tim Cook said Apple did cooperate with law enforcement. |
| "When the FBI has requested data that's in our possession, we have provided it," he wrote. | "When the FBI has requested data that's in our possession, we have provided it," he wrote. |
| "We have also made Apple engineers available to advise the FBI... we have worked hard to support the government's efforts to solve this horrible crime. We have no sympathy for terrorists." | "We have also made Apple engineers available to advise the FBI... we have worked hard to support the government's efforts to solve this horrible crime. We have no sympathy for terrorists." |
| The company said it would oppose the court order because creating a backdoor in its operating system was "dangerous". | |
| "In the wrong hands, this software — which does not exist today — would have the potential to unlock any iPhone in someone's physical possession," the company said. | |
| But Mr McClure said companies were forgetting about the victims of crime, and the families of those killed. | But Mr McClure said companies were forgetting about the victims of crime, and the families of those killed. |
| "I would hate to see on the streets of London another murder like what happened to Lee Rigby, I'd hate to see another attack like what happened in Paris," he said. | "I would hate to see on the streets of London another murder like what happened to Lee Rigby, I'd hate to see another attack like what happened in Paris," he said. |
| "How many victims of crime are not getting justice because of Apple's stance?" | "How many victims of crime are not getting justice because of Apple's stance?" |
| However, privacy advocates have backed Apple's position. | However, privacy advocates have backed Apple's position. |
| "The FBI's request, which would in practice require Apple to rewrite its operating system to weaken security protections, would set a very dangerous precedent," said Sherif Elsayed-Ali from Amnesty International. | "The FBI's request, which would in practice require Apple to rewrite its operating system to weaken security protections, would set a very dangerous precedent," said Sherif Elsayed-Ali from Amnesty International. |
| "Such backdoors undermine everyone's security and threaten our right to privacy. | "Such backdoors undermine everyone's security and threaten our right to privacy. |
| "This isn't an issue about reading a known terrorist's texts - it's about how the functionality could be abused in other ways." | "This isn't an issue about reading a known terrorist's texts - it's about how the functionality could be abused in other ways." |
| Greg Nojeim from the Centre for Democracy and Technology agreed: "If the order stands, Apple and other technology companies could be ordered to build backdoors - essentially defects - into other devices, rendering them insecure and vulnerable to attack by law enforcement and by others as well." | Greg Nojeim from the Centre for Democracy and Technology agreed: "If the order stands, Apple and other technology companies could be ordered to build backdoors - essentially defects - into other devices, rendering them insecure and vulnerable to attack by law enforcement and by others as well." |
| In its statement, Apple said: "The government is asking Apple to hack our own users and undermine decades of security advancements that protect our customers. | In its statement, Apple said: "The government is asking Apple to hack our own users and undermine decades of security advancements that protect our customers. |
| "We can find no precedent for an American company being forced to expose its customers to a greater risk of attack." | "We can find no precedent for an American company being forced to expose its customers to a greater risk of attack." |
| Mr McClure said he appreciated the value of encryption but that some companies had taken things too far. | Mr McClure said he appreciated the value of encryption but that some companies had taken things too far. |
| "I'm not saying take encryption off the iPhone, but there has to be a balance," he told the BBC. | "I'm not saying take encryption off the iPhone, but there has to be a balance," he told the BBC. |
| "Where there is a legally obtained warrant for information we should be helping the authorities get that information. | "Where there is a legally obtained warrant for information we should be helping the authorities get that information. |
| "That can also clear an innocent person too, it works both ways." | "That can also clear an innocent person too, it works both ways." |