Arizona County To Stop Using iPhones Following Encryption Debate

While it sounds like many big name tech companies will soon be throwing their legal support behind Apple, there are some in the government who aren’t too thrilled about Apple’s refusal to comply with the court’s orders and unlock the iPhone in the San Bernardino terrorist case. Maricopa County in Arizona is one of them, and the county has announced that they will be ditching the iPhone following Apple’s refusal to comply with the demands.

The press release reads, “Effective immediately, the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office will discontinue providing iPhones as option for replacements or upgrades for existing employees.” However it sounds like those with existing devices are free to keep using them, but if any employee hopes to get a new iPhone as an upgrade from the county, they will not be able to do so.

According to Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery, “Apple’s refusal to cooperate with a legitimate law enforcement investigation to unlock a phone used by terrorists puts Apple on the side of terrorists instead of on the side of public safety. Positioning their refusal to cooperate as having anything to do with privacy interests is a corporate PR stunt and ignores the 4th Amendment protections afforded by our Constitution.”

Montgomery’s statement about Apple’s decision being a PR stunt echoes that of the US Department of Justice, who recently also suggested that Apple’s refusal to cooperate was simply a PR stunt meant to bring attention to themselves.

Tyler Lee
Categories: Apple, Cellphones
Tags: iPhone, Legal, Privacy, Security