Apple: US founders would be ‘appalled’ by DOJ iPhone request

SAN FRANCISCO: The US founding fathers "would be appalled" by a Department of Justice request to unlock an encrypted iPhone, Apple Inc said on Tuesday in its final brief before a court showdown next week.

Apple is fighting a court order obtained by the Federal Bureau of Investigation last month, which requires the company to write new software to disable passcode protection and allow access to the phone used by one of the San Bernardino, California shooters, Rizwan Farook.

Apple on Tuesday said Congress had declined to give the Justice Department the authority to compel Apple's help.

"Although silence is sometimes a weak indicator of intent, it is a different story when Congress actively considers legislation to address a major policy issue, yet deliberately declines to enact it," Apple said.

According to Apple, the government also believes the courts can order private parties "to do virtually anything the Justice Department and FBI can dream up. The Founders would be appalled."

In a statement, the Justice Department said it looked forward to responding to Apple's arguments in court.

"As we have said in our filings, the Constitution and the three branches of the federal government should be entrusted to strike the balance between each citizen's right to privacy and all citizens' right to safety and justice," spokeswoman Emily Pierce said. "The Constitution and the laws of the United States do not vest that power in a single corporation."

Apple and the government have had several heated exchanges in court papers over the case in which law enforcement officials have said last December's shootings by Farook and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, were inspired by Islamist militants. The FBI wants to read data on the phone to try and find out whether or not the couple had contacts with militant groups.

The government has claimed Apple is refusing access as part of a "marketing strategy" to show off its commitment to customer privacy. In response, Apple senior director Robert Ferrini filed a sworn statement saying Apple has created nearly 1,800 advertisements worldwide since rolling out its iOS 8 operating system in October 2014, generating an estimated 253 billion impressions worldwide.