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According to new reports published by The Financial Times and The New York Times, the Cupertino technology giant is introducing new security measures that will make it impossible to access customers' data, both on devices and in the cloud.
Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
This could go all the way to the US Supreme Court
Apple and the FBI are currently battling over the contents of an iPhone that belonged to one of the San Bernardino shooters. The FBI wants access to the data, arguing that it may contain clues as to the attackers' motivations, and potentially prevent future attacks.
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Apple refuses to do this, arguing that building this software would make all iPhones less safe. The company's supporters also fear it would set a far-reaching precedent: Any company could be forced to create new software to hack into its users.
A Califorina court has ordered Apple to comply with the FBI's demands; Apple is appealing.
CEO Tim Cook says he's willing to take this battle all the way to the US Supreme Court. "We would be prepared to take this issue all the way," the executive told ABC News in an interview on Wednesday.
Apple is doubling down on security
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Meanwhile, Apple is reportedly taking its security for iCloud, its cloud data hosting service, a step forward. According to The Financial Times (which bases its report on "people familiar with [Apple's] plans"), Apple is planning to encrypt iCloud backups of users' data in such a way that it doesn't hold an encryption key.
This would make it impossible for it to provide law enforcement with access to the unencrypted data, even if it wanted to.
These reported measures make a legislative response to the debate all the more likely. Apple CEO Tim Cook has called for a Congressional committee to discuss the issue. "We feel the best way forward would be for the government to withdraw its demands under the All Writs Act and, as some in Congress have proposed, form a commission or other panel of experts on intelligence, technology and civil liberties to discuss the implications for law enforcement, national security, privacy and personal freedoms," he wrote in a memo to employees. "Apple would gladly participate in such an effort."