FBI again finds itself unable to unlock a gunman's cellphone

[TexasTowelie]

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Texas church massacre is providing a familiar frustration for law enforcement: FBI agents are unable to unlock the gunman's encrypted cellphone to learn what evidence it might hold.

But while heart-wrenching details of the rampage that left more than two dozen people dead might revive the debate over the balance of digital privacy rights and national security, it's not likely to prompt change anytime soon.

Congress has not shown a strong appetite for legislation that would force technology companies to help the government break into encrypted phones and computers. And the fiery public debate surrounding the FBI's legal fight with Apple Inc. has largely faded since federal authorities announced they were able to access a locked phone in a terror case without the help of the technology giant.

As a candidate, Donald Trump called on Americans to boycott Apple unless it helped the FBI hack into the phone, but he hasn't been as vocal as president.

Read more: http://www.beaumontenterprise.com/business/technology/article/FBI-again-finds-itself-unable-to-unlock-a-12340448.php

[Kablooie]

1. Apple can't help even if they wanted to if it's a recent model iPhone.

Apple's security does not have any backdoor which means that Apple itself is locked out as much as anyone else.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

2. Good. As awful as the crime was, we all need some sort of privacy.

Too bad if law enforcement can't unlock his phone. Not that there's going to be anything significant to be learned about this man that we don't already know. He was an abuser. He had a dishonorable discharge from the army. He wasn't able to cope with real life. And because he lived in the United States he had ready access to guns. No mystery, nothing new to be learned.

Get rid of guns and incidents like this will stop happening.