White House disputes Apple's position on iPhone hack request

WASHINGTON (AP) — Although the CEO of Apple says an order from a federal magistrate could threaten the security of millions of iPhones, the White House doesn't see it that way.

The magistrate ordered Apple to help the FBI hack into an iPhone that had been used by one of the shooters who carried out the massacre in San Bernardino, California last year.

But Apple CEO Tim Cook says the company will resist. He says the administration is trying to get Apple to build a "backdoor" that would bypass digital locks protecting consumer information on iPhones. And he says the software would be "too dangerous to create."

White House spokesman Josh Earnest disagrees. He says the court isn't trying to get Apple to "redesign its product" or "create a new backdoor." Instead, Earnest says, the order would "have an impact on this one device."

At the center of the debate is the private information carried on nearly 900 million iPhones sold worldwide.

In Congress, the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Republican Richard Burr, said, "Court orders are not optional and Apple should comply." Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein (FYN'-styn) said she thought the government should be able to access the phone. On the campaign trail, Republican Donald Trump said he agreed "100 percent with the courts."

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178-a-09-(Seth Berenzweig (BEHR'-ehn-zwyg), business trial attorney, in AP interview)-"its sales worldwide"-Attorney Seth Berenzweig says Apple has serious business reasons for fighting the federal order to help the FBI hack the encrypted iPhone of one of the San Bernardino, California, shooters. (17 Feb 2016)

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177-a-15-(Seth Berenzweig (BEHR'-ehn-zwyg), business trial attorney, in AP interview)-"of everyone's iPhone"-Attorney Seth Berenzweig says the federal order directing Apple to work with the FBI to hack the iPhone of the San Bernardino shooter is unprecedented. (17 Feb 2016)

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148-a-11-(Avi Rubin (AH'-vee ROO'-bin), computer science professor, Johns Hopkins University, in AP interview)-"outraged as well"-Avi Rubin, a computer science professor at Johns Hopkins University, says forcing a company like Apple to help the U.S. government unlock a device like an iPhone is a serious threat to personal liberties. (17 Feb 2016)

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138-a-03-(Representative Brad Sherman, D-Calif., in interview)-"effort against terrorism"-Congressman Brad Sherman of California says Apple should rethink its decision to fight the court order. COURTESY: KABC-TV ((mandatory on-air credit)) EMBARGO: Los Angeles (17 Feb 2016)

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APPHOTO DCCK101: An iPhone is seen in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2016. A U.S. magistrate judge has ordered Apple to help the FBI break into a work-issued iPhone used by one of the two gunmen in the mass shooting in San Bernardino, California, a significant legal victory for the Justice Department in an ongoing policy battle between digital privacy and national security. Apple CEO Tim Cook immediately objected, setting the stage for a high-stakes legal fight between Silicon Valley and the federal government. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) (17 Feb 2016)

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APPHOTO WX102: In this photo taken Nov. 15, 2015, Apple CEO Tim Cook speaks in Milan, Italy. A U.S. magistrate judge has ordered Apple to help the FBI break into a work-issued iPhone used by one of the two gunmen in the mass shooting in San Bernardino, California, a significant legal victory for the Justice Department in an ongoing policy battle between digital privacy and national security. Apple CEO Tim Cook immediately objected, setting the stage for a high-stakes legal fight between Silicon Valley and the federal government. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno) (10 Nov 2015)

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