The Federal Bureau of Investigation has assured law
enforcement across the United States that it will help unlock mobile devices
such as iPhones involved in investigations when it is allowed by law and
policy.
The FBI said in a letter to local authorities that it
understands the challenges they face and that they lack necessary tools to
monitor and investigate the communications of suspects who use encrypted mobile
devices, according to the correspondence obtained by Reuters on Friday.
"As has been our longstanding policy, the FBI
will of course consider any tool that might be helpful to our partners,"
the FBI said. "Please know that we will continue to do everything we
can to help you consistent with our legal and policy constraints."
The letter came five days after the U.S. Justice
Department announced that it had dropped its legal case against Apple Inc and
that it had successfully unlocked an iPhone used by Syed Farook, who went on a
shooting rampage in San Bernardino, California, in December, when he and his
wife killed 14 people and wounded 22.
The abrupt end to the legal confrontation that
transfixed the tech industry was a victory for #Apple, which vehemently opposed
a court order obtained by the Justice Department.
The justice department sought to have Apple write new
software to get into the iPhone and access data on it that was secured by
encryption.
The FBI said in the letter that it was aware of the
"worldwide publicity and attention" that was generated by the Apple
litigation and that it was committed to maintaining "an open
dialogue" with local law enforcement.
"We are in this together," the FBI said.
(Reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee; Editing by
Shri Navaratnam)
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