ACLU Blasts Trump’s Call for Apple to Unlock Phones

The American Civil Liberties Union called “dangerous and unconstitutional” President Donald Trump’s tweet Tuesday that Apple should “unlock phones used by killers, drug dealers and other violent criminal elements.” Strong encryption “enables religious minorities facing genocide, like the Uyghurs in China, and journalists investigating powerful drug cartels in Mexico, to communicate safely with each other, knowledgeable sources, and the outside world,” said ACLU Surveillance and Cybersecurity Counsel Jennifer Granick in a statement. Apple didn’t comment Wednesday. Senate Judiciary Committee members want Apple and Google to provide better device access (see 1912100039).