Apple chief says unlocking iPhone would be bad policy

Apple chief Tim Cook on Wednesday said that complying with a court order to help the FBI break into an iPhone belonging to one of the San Bernardino shooters would set a legal precedent that would offend millions of people. Apple CEO Tim Cook    "This case is not about one phone, this case is about the future. What is at stake here is, can the government compel Apple to write software that we believe would make hundreds of millions of customers vulnerable around the world, including the U.S.? The only way we’d know would be to write a piece of software that we view as sort of the software equivalent of cancer.”

The iPhone in question was used by San Bernardino shooter Rizwan Farook, who along with his wife went on a shooting rampage in December that killed 14 and wounded 22. The U.S. Justice Department wants Apple to help access encrypted information stored on Farook's iPhone 5C by writing software that would disable its passcode protections. Apple has said it intends to fight the court order. It has until Friday to respond.