Researchers at the CIA have been working secretly to decrypt and penetrate security mechanisms installed on some of Apple's wireless devices since as early as 2006, according to documents released by NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden and published by The Intercept.
The Snowden report reveals that researchers from the CIA and NSA have been meeting annually at a secret conference to share Apple-focused research, the purpose of which is to "provide important information to developers trying to circumvent or exploit new security capabilities," and to "exploit new avenues of attack."
Apple and other tech giants,The Intercept reports, have been "loudly resisting pressure from senior U.S. and U.K. government officials to weaken the security of their products," with Apple CEO Tim Cook leading the way.
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The Hill reports that Apple upped the iPhone's encryption security in September to protect consumers from cybercriminals and foreign governments. The encryption technology made it impossible for Apple to extract data from phones, even with a search warrant. At the time, Cook said he wanted to be absolutely clear that "[Apple has] never worked with any government agency from any country to create a backdoor in any of our products or services. We have also never allowed access to our servers. And we never will."
In response to the more recent reports of government interference in personal communication, Cook had this to say:
"None of us should accept that the government or a company or anybody should have access to all of our private information. This is a basic human right. We all have a right to privacy. We shouldn't give it up. We shouldn't give in to scare-mongering." [The Intercept]
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