New York City's law enforcement authorities on Thursday accused Apple Inc. of being irresponsible by refusing to help FBI to unlock an iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino shooters. The officials say Apple's stance could harm criminal prosecutions.
According to Reuters, Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance said at a news conference that Apple's unwillingness to help FBI unlocking iPhone in San Bernardino case is "the most visible example of how Silicon Valley's decisions are thwarting criminal investigations and impeding public safety."
At a news conference at New York City Police Headquarters with Commissioner William Bratton, Vance said that today, his office has 175 iPhones it can't open because of encryption. The iPhones Vance's office is unable to unlock cover a wide range of cases, including homicide, attempted murder and sex abuse cases.
Vance said he doesn't believe it should be up to Apple whether or not it cooperates with law enforcement.
New York City Police Commissioner William Bratton said Apple's stance is corporate irresponsibility, New York Daily News reports.
Apple has refused a federal judge order on Tuesday to help FBI investigators seeking to read data on an iPhone used by a San Bernardino shooter.
Apple CEO Tim Cook said that the judge order would force a "backdoor" that could imperil all iPhone owners. Google CEO Sundar Pichai supported Apple's stance.
Vance and Bratton said Apple and Google are their own sheriffs in the Wild West in technology and there are no rules.
Vance teamed up with Bratton to seek to execute lawful court orders based on probable cause. Vance said that decision about whether investigators can access private information should be made by courts and legislators, not companies.
The top New York officials said the two tech companies have created the first "warrant-proof" consumer products.
Bratton claimed the impact of encryption on crime prevention is more significant than terrorism concerns. He said that its going to require more significant court rulings and legislation, Bloomberg reports.
The New York City Police Department and the District Attorney's office used to be able to access smartphones to charge criminals and to exonerate the innocent. But in 2014, Apple decided to lock its products through improved encryption.
Vance has pushed for Congress to settle legislation related to the issue.
New York Assemblyman Matthew Titone, a Democrat from Staten Island, introduced a bill last year that would require smartphone makers to allow their products to be unlocked.
