Apple—Apple refused FBI order to create iPhone backdoor in San Bernardino case
In February 2016, Apple CEO Tim Cook publicly refused an FBI court order to create software that would bypass iPhone encryption security to unlock a device recovered from the San Bernardino shooting. Cook argued that 'building a backdoor to the iPhone' would be 'too dangerous to create' and warned there was 'no way to guarantee' limited use. Apple filed a motion to vacate the court order, arguing it was unconstitutional. The case became moot when the FBI obtained a $1+ million tool from Israeli company Azimuth Security to crack the iPhone independently. Cook's public stance established Apple as a defender of encryption rights.
Scoring Impact
| Topic | Direction | Relevance | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic Institutions | +toward | secondary | +0.50 |
| Encryption & Privacy | +toward | primary | +1.00 |
| User Privacy | +toward | primary | +1.00 |
| Overall incident score = | +0.850 | ||
Score = avg(topic contributions) × significance (critical ×2) × confidence (0.68)× agency (reactive ×0.75)
Evidence (2 signals)
Tim Cook published open letter refusing FBI's request to create iPhone backdoor
On February 16, 2016, Apple CEO Tim Cook published a public letter stating the U.S. government asked for 'something we simply do not have, and something we consider too dangerous to create.' Cook argued that building a version of iOS bypassing security would 'undeniably create a backdoor' and warned 'there is no way to guarantee' its use would be limited to one case. Apple filed a motion to vacate the court order, calling it unlawful and unconstitutional.
Tim Cook published open letter to customers refusing FBI order to build iPhone backdoor
On February 16, 2016, Apple CEO Tim Cook published an open letter on apple.com opposing a federal court order to help the FBI unlock an iPhone 5C belonging to San Bernardino shooter Syed Farook. Cook argued the All Writs Act did not give authority to conscript a private company to create government hacking tools. Apple filed a formal motion to vacate on February 25, 2016. The FBI ultimately found a third-party tool to unlock the phone and the DOJ withdrew the case on March 28, 2016.