More Than Two Dozen United States Tech Companies Rally Behind Apple Ahead of iPhone Encryption Ruling

By

The leaders of tech companies such as Google, Facebook Inc., Microsoft Corporation, AT&T and more than two dozen other corporations are showing their support for Apple regarding their fight against the FBI. These companies have filed legal briefs on Thursday, asking a judge to support Apple with their bid not to follow the court order to help in unlocking one of the San Bernardino shooters' iPhone.

The allies of Apple filed the amicus briefs to United States District Judge Sheri Pym in Riverside, California. However, six relatives of the victims of the San Bernardino attack submitted their own amicus brief opposing Apple. Three California law enforcement groups, three federal law enforcement groups and the San Bernardino district attorney have also filed in favor of the government.

Other companies including Twitter and LinkedIn Corp. asserted that the Congress has passed laws that establish things that companies could do for the government. The tech companies also noted that the Congress passed the All Writs Act more than 200 years ago. They pointed out that the government forcing engineers to disable security protections rely only on a boundless interpretation of the law. However, the families of the victims argued that the government had a valid warrant, Reuters reported.

Privacy advocacy groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union, Access Now, and the Wickr foundation have also filed briefs in support of Apple, The Economic Times reported.

The battle of Apple against the FBI has become public last month. The FBI was requesting via a court order that Apple should write new software in order to disable the passcode protection for the iPhone owned by Syed Rizwan Farook. Farook and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, have killed 14 people and injured 22 after they open fired at an establishment in San Bernardino.

The FBI has issued the order as they do not want to erase other data, which they deem to be important. Apple's iPhones and other products are designed to delete data once the passcode entered is incorrect for the tenth time.

NDTV also reported that Apple has argued this will be posing a dangerous precedent and threaten their customers' security. They asked the order to be dismissed but earlier this week, Apple's representative and FBI's director have presented their arguments before a congressional panel.

Earlier this week, a similar case has found Apple on the winning side after a federal judge in Brooklyn ruled that the government overstepped their authority. Law enforcement officials were seeking similar assistance as the FBI regarding an Apple iPhone used in a drug case.

Tags
Google, Facebook, AT&T, Twitter, Apple, San Bernardino

© 2025 Lawyer Herald All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.

Join the Discussion
More Law & Society
No Jail for Medical Student Found Guilty of Raping Drunk

No Jail for Medical Student Found Guilty of Raping Drunk Woman Who 'Couldn't Possibly Consent': He Is 'Young' and 'Talented'

Police Chief Spiked Officers' Coffee With Viagra, Left Body Hair

Police Chief Terrorized Staff by Pooping on the Floor, Spiking Coffee with Viagra and Sprinkling Body Hair on Food: Complaint

Texas Man Rammed Parked Tesla

Texas Man Rammed ATV Into Parked Tesla 'at Full Speed,' Keyed 'Elon' Into Side of Others: Police

Dumpster Diving Pedo_03282025_1

Binders of Child Porn Discovered in Dumpster by Homeless Duo Leads Man to Admit to Molesting Dozens of Children: Police