During his questioning, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said by accessing his iPhone data and chats, the ED would be privy to details of AAP’s ’election strategy’ and pre-poll alliances
Apple has reportedly denied unlocking and providing the Enforcement Directorate (ED) access to the iPhone used by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. The Cupertino-based tech giant has stated that the data can only be accessed with the password set by the device owner.
A report by The Indian Express cited sources revealing that during a raid by the ED on the night of Kejriwal’s arrest on March 21, the agency found Rs 70,000 and four mobile phones, including the CM’s smartphone, which were confiscated. Allegedly, Kejriwal had turned off his iPhone and refused to share his password.
Reason for Kejriwal not sharing his iPhone password with ED?
Reports suggest that Kejriwal, during questioning, mentioned that by accessing his phone data and chats, the ED would gain insight into AAP’s “election strategy” and pre-poll alliances.
Apple’s stance on unlocking devices for law enforcement
This is not the first instance where Apple has declined to unlock a device upon request from investigating agencies in a country.
In 2020, Apple refused to unlock the device of Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani, a Saudi Air Force second lieutenant who killed three Americans at Pensacola Naval Air Station. Despite being labeled an act of terrorism by American authorities, Apple declined to unlock the device but provided investigative authorities with associated information and data retrieved from iCloud backups.
Why Apple refuses to unlock devices for law enforcement agencies?
Apple CEO Tim Cook has consistently defended the company’s decision, emphasizing the importance of user privacy and civil liberties. Cook has reiterated that complying with government orders to unlock devices would set a dangerous precedent and compromise data security for millions of law-abiding individuals.
Apple believes that creating a backdoor for law enforcement could be exploited by cybercriminals, posing a threat to user privacy and security. Apple’s Senior Director of Global Privacy, Jane Horvath, has also stressed the criticality of end-to-end encryption in protecting services and highlighted the implications of building backdoors to encryption.
