‘Fourth Amendment protections don’t apply to dead terrorists…’
(Joshua Paladino, Liberty Headlines) Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., asked Apple Inc. to follow the FBI’s request of bypassing password protections on two iPhones used by Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani, the Saudi Arabian terrorist who attacked Naval Air Station Pensacola.
The FBI asked for Apple’s assistance after a court authorized investigators to probe the phones for evidence about the terrorist’s connections and motivations, NBC News reported.
“Every American should be greatly concerned about last month’s terrorist attack that killed three brave sailors in Florida,” Scott said. “It is unthinkable that any American business would refuse to offer their resources to help get to the bottom of an attack on our nation.”
As the FBI waits for Apple’s response, the bureau is trying a low-tech option.
“Investigators are actively engaging in efforts to ‘guess’ the relevant passcodes but so far have been unsuccessful,” according to the FBI’s letter to Apple’s general counsel.
Beyond the guessing game, FBI General Counsel Dana Boente said the bureau is asking for help from other government agencies, foreign experts and “familiar contacts in the third-party vendor community.”
Following the 2015 San Bernardino shooting, a third-party vendor unlocked the phone of one of the shooters, Syed Rizwan Farook.
Apple said in vague terms that it has worked and will work with the federal government.
“We have the greatest respect for law enforcement and have always worked cooperatively to help in their investigations,” Apple said in a statement. “When the FBI requested information from us relating to this case a month ago, we gave them all of the data in our possession and we will continue to support them with the data we have available.”
Yet, Apple would not unlock Farook’s phone after the San Bernardino shooting, and the Justice Department decided to sue the company.
“Fourth Amendment protections don’t apply to dead terrorists,” Scott said. “I hope Apple Inc. decides to comply with the FBI as soon as possible and be proactive in the effort to prevent future terrorist attacks.”