US officials say the FBI has successfully accessed data stored on an encrypted iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino mass shooters.
The breakthrough effectively ends Washington’s controversial court case with Apple. The Justice Department said the government has recovered the data on Syed Farook’s cell phone with the assistance of a third party. It said the government no longer requires Apple's assistance. The government’s legal battle to force Apple to decrypt Farook’s phone led to criticism from privacy campaigners. Amnesty International blasted the US administration, saying its attacks on the encryption of online communications threaten human rights worldwide.