On Monday, the U.S. Justice Department formally announced that it has been able to successfully access data stored on the iPhone that belonged to the San Bernardino gunman. This news was a surprise, as the feat was accomplished without Apple’s help, ending the controversial court case against the major tech company.
Without adding further details, the government told a federal court that it was able to access data on the gunman’s phone and no longer requires Apple’s assistance.
“As the government noted in its filing today, the FBI has now successfully retrieved the data stored on the San Bernardino terrorist’s iPhone and therefore no longer requires the assistance from Apple required by this Court Order,” DOJ spokeswoman Melaine Newman said in a statement. “The FBI is currently reviewing the information on the phone, consistent with standard investigatory procedures.”
Gunman Syed Farook and his wife died in a standoff with the police after they killed 14 people in San Bernardino, California in December. Apple has yet to comment.