Donald Trump slams Apple for refusing to unlock gunman’s iPhone

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Trump has chimed in on the encryption issue.
Photo: Michael Vadon/Flickr CC

Donald Trump has slammed Apple for its refusal to unlock gunman Syed Rizwan Farook’s iPhone 5c after being requested to do so by the FBI.

“Who do [Apple] think they are? They have to open it up,” Trump told Fox and Friends when asked about Apple’s responsibility to help with the investigation following the attack in San Bernardino, California, which killed 14 people.

“I agree 100 percent with the courts,” noted the Republican presidential hopeful. “In that case, we should open it up. I think … we have to open it up and we have to use our heads. We have to use common sense. Somebody the other day called me a common-sense conservative. We have to use common sense.”

Trump’s comments follow an open letter written by Tim Cook, in which Apple’s CEO argues that forcing Apple to create a backdoor for its iOS devices would represent an “unprecedented step which threatens the security of our customers.” (You can read more about what the case involves here with our handy FAQ: “What you need to know about Apple’s battle against FBI snooping.”)

This isn’t the first time Trump has discussed Apple en route (possibly) to the White House. Last month, Trump pledged to make Apple start manufacturing its devices in the Good Old U.S. of A, telling an audience at Liberty University that, “We’re gonna get Apple to start building their damn computers and things in this country instead of in other countries.”

Do you agree with Trump’s stance on Apple’s encryption? Leave your comments below.

Source: Politico

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