CNET reports that Apple has created a “waiting list” for requests from law enforcement officials seeking to unlock iOS devices they have seized.
The article notes a case in Kentucky where the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives was the lead agency, and investigators contacted Apple for assistance after they were unable to locate any law enforcement agency in the country with the forensic capabilities to unlock an iPhone crucial to the case.
The agency had contacted Apple but was told by a representative in Apple’s litigation group that there would be a seven-week delay.
The ATF’s Maynard said in an affidavit for the Kentucky case that Apple “has the capabilities to bypass the security software” and “download the contents of the phone to an external memory device.” Chang, the Apple legal specialist, told him that “once the Apple analyst bypasses the passcode, the data will be downloaded onto a USB external drive” and delivered to the ATF.
Apple declined to comment on its law enforcement policies when CNET contacted the company earlier this week.
In its privacy policy, Apple states that it may disclose personal information “by law, legal process, litigation, and/or requests from public and governmental authorities within or outside your country of residence” or “if we determine that for purposes of national security, law enforcement, or other issues of public importance, disclosure is necessary or appropriate.”
