Apple fights FBI order to unlock San Bernardino shooter’s iPhone, gets three more days

This week, Apple has been embroiled in a fight with the FBI, which has ordered the tech giant to create a software to unlock an iPhone that was used by one of the San Bernardino shooters. Today, Apple was reportedly granted three more days to present its legal argument against the order.

On Feb. 16, Apple CEO Tim Cook issued a statement to Apple’s customers, making its stance clear. It has refused to unlock the phone, believing that it would compromise their customers’ security. The company prides itself in creating products that customers should feel safe about using and fulfilling the order would compromise that.

Cook said that the company did provide all the information and data it had. However, creating a version of its operating system that would go around user-created locks is where Apple draws the line. Apple does not believe that the government would only use the operating system in this case.

“The FBI may use different words to describe this tool, but make no mistake: Building a version of iOS that bypasses security in this way would undeniably create a backdoor,” Apple said. “And while the government may argue that its use would be limited to this case, there is no way to guarantee such control.”

Cook later wrote, “While we believe the FBI’s intentions are good, it would be wrong for the government to force us to build a backdoor into our products. And ultimately, we fear that this demand would undermine the very freedoms and liberty our government is meant to protect.”

Apple originally had until Feb. 23 to respond to the court order. However, CNNMoney reports that the company has been granted an extension until Feb. 26.

Members of the tech community have voiced support for Apple, including Facebook, Google and Twitter.

The government is specifically trying to get into the phone owned by Sayed Farook, one of the two shooters in San Bernardino, California, where 14 people were killed in December.