The FBI said it may have discovered a way to unlock the iPhone used by the San Bernardino shooter, and asked a California court to end its legal battle against the company.
The news came late Monday from California, where the trial was set to begin in a few hours.
In a court filing Monday, the Justice Department said that “a third party suggested to the FBI a possible method” for unlocking the iPhone used by Syed Farook, who along with his wife, Tashfeen Malik, killed 14 people in Southern California in early December.
“Testing is required to determine whether this is a proper method that will not compromise the data on Farook’s iPhone,” the federal request to the California court states.
The judge overseeing the case temporarily suspended it, granting an extension until April 5, until the FBI finishes the tests and has definitive results.
It should be noted that initially the FBI had essentially asked Apple to rewrite iOS software to remove security features, allowing the feds to bypass the passcode on Farook's phone.
To be precise, these are what the general public should know, because no one can know what is happening “under the table.”
