The December attack by a Saudi aviation student at the Pensacola Navy base in Florida has been declared an act of terrorism by the Attorney General, escalating the pressure on Apple to unlock iPhones belonging to the gunman. The iPhones, which the FBI has been unable to penetrate, may contain more information about his affiliation and radicalization.
The tech firm and the government are now up in arms over whether Apple will unlock the phones or whether doing so will set a dangerous precedent for future cases. The tension highlights the balance between digital security and the imperatives of criminal investigations. Investigators are yet to uncover information that the attacker had any co-conspirators, was inspired by, or was apart of one specific terrorist group.
Read More: U.S. Calls Pensacola Attack Terrorism; Pressures Apple Over Gunman’s Locked Phones