• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Why did a $154 billion CEO just endorse stripping most Americans of voting rights—and taking us back to the 19th century?

2

New York City women are making up to $30,000 per month by renting out their closets to strangers

3

A Nobel economist challenged Elon Musk to donate his entire $1T fortune by 2036. Musk's reply: 'I am actually going to do something along these lines'

1

Why did a $154 billion CEO just endorse stripping most Americans of voting rights—and taking us back to the 19th century?

2

New York City women are making up to $30,000 per month by renting out their closets to strangers

3

A Nobel economist challenged Elon Musk to donate his entire $1T fortune by 2036. Musk's reply: 'I am actually going to do something along these lines'
Tech

Snowden: FBI Saying It Can’t Unlock iPhone is ‘Bullsh**’

By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
Down Arrow Button Icon
March 9, 2016, 12:57 PM ET
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden says the FBI is full of, well, something, in its iPhone case.

Speaking on a video link from Moscow on Tuesday, Snowden used colorful language to explain why the FBI’s claim that it needs Apple’s help in unlocking the iPhone owned by Syed Farook isn’t true.

“The FBI says Apple has the ‘exclusive technical means’ of getting into this phone,” Snowden said at the Common Cause Blueprint for Democracy conference. “Respectfully, that’s bullsh**.”

The Intercept earlier reported on Snowden’s comments.

Snowden wasn’t given a chance to explain his response: His comments came at the end of the session and the moderator ended the discussion soon after. However, in a tweet on Tuesday, he linked to an American Civil Liberties Union posting from Monday, saying that one claim made by the FBI in its case against Apple—namely its concern with the iPhone auto-erasing itself if it can’t break into the device—was “fraudulent.”

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

“The FBI wants us to think that this case is about a single phone, used by a terrorist,” ACLU technology fellow Daniel Kahn Gilmor wrote in the Snowden-linked article. “But it’s a power grab: law enforcement has dozens of other cases where they would love to be able to compel software and hardware providers to build, provide, and vouch for deliberately weakened code. The FBI wants to weaken the ecosystem we all depend on for maintenance of our all-too-vulnerable devices.”

Snowden made a name for himself as the whistleblower who revealed several secretive spying programs at the NSA. He has since fled to Russia, where he’s safeguarded from U.S. law enforcement. The U.S. has revoked his passport and wants him to return to the U.S. to be charged. Snowden, meanwhile, is hoping for permanent asylum, so he can’t be charged in U.S. courts.

He’s also a divisive figure. Some have seen Snowden as a brave, courageous person, fighting for freedom and individual liberty. Critics, however, say his acts are treasonous and could put the entire world at risk. Regardless, he has used his time in Russia to comment on several privacy-related matters, including his most recent comments on the Apple-FBI case.

Edward Snowden Just Got a Huge Win in Europe

Whether his comments—and those of the ACLU’s Gilmor—are true is unknown. Apple (AAPL) has contended that obeying a court order to provide software that would allow the FBI to access San Bernardino attacker Syed Farook’s iPhone would create a “dangerous precedent” that could see the government seek other opportunities to break into devices. The company has denied the request and says it’s willing to fight all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court to support its cause.

Several prominent organizations and technology titans have gotten behind Apple, including the ACLU and billionaire Mark Cuban. Even Apple’s rival Microsoft (MSFT) has voiced support for its stance.

 

 

Meanwhile, the FBI and its director James Comey say that they’re simply trying to bring justice to the San Bernardino victims. Despite Snowden’s suggestion that the FBI could find a way to access the iPhone’s data, the FBI has said that it cannot. Given his work with the NSA and seeming understanding of security and hacking, however, Snowden’s comments have been given some weight on the Internet.

Still, the answers aren’t clear and at this point, all we know is that the FBI and Apple will continue to battle until one of them wins or waves the white flag. And so far, neither side is showing signs of surrender.

To hear everything Snowden had to say at Tuesday’s event, check out the following video:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJ6PpX6xg-E]

Neither Apple nor the FBI immediately responded to a request for comment.

About the Author
By Don Reisinger
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • TikTok icon
  • YouTube icon

Latest in Tech

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on July 24, 2026 in New York.
Big TechWall Street
‘A lot of panic around the AI investment’: how a chip slump is driving the Nasdaq toward correction 
By Eva RoytburgJuly 28, 2026
1 minute ago
Top AI companies say they want Chinese models to stay available. Is it genuine?
NewslettersEye on AI
Top AI companies say they want Chinese models to stay available. Is it genuine?
By Emily ForliniJuly 28, 2026
1 hour ago
helen
Commentarycyber
Helen Toner: the Hugging Face hack was just a matter of time and exposes a huge blind spot in AI policy
By Helen TonerJuly 28, 2026
3 hours ago
Instagram cracks down on growing ‘pervert glasses’ problem with Meta Ray-Bans
CybersecurityMeta
Instagram cracks down on growing ‘pervert glasses’ problem with Meta Ray-Bans
By Tatiana SatauaJuly 28, 2026
4 hours ago
Worker in a full cleanroom suit uses a wafer manufacturing tool.
SuccessCareers
In South Korea, teenagers are skipping college for semiconductor school—they’re landing six-figure Samsung jobs at 17 and bonuses of up to $400,000
By Preston ForeJuly 28, 2026
4 hours ago
The IPO hype cycle returns
MagazineFortune Archives
The IPO hype cycle returns
By Sam ForsdickJuly 28, 2026
5 hours ago

Most Popular

Why did a $154 billion CEO just endorse stripping most Americans of voting rights—and taking us back to the 19th century?
C-Suite
Why did a $154 billion CEO just endorse stripping most Americans of voting rights—and taking us back to the 19th century?
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 27, 2026
1 day ago
New York City women are making up to $30,000 per month by renting out their closets to strangers
Retail
New York City women are making up to $30,000 per month by renting out their closets to strangers
By Sarah GlodekJuly 27, 2026
2 days ago
A Nobel economist challenged Elon Musk to donate his entire $1T fortune by 2036. Musk's reply: 'I am actually going to do something along these lines'
Success
A Nobel economist challenged Elon Musk to donate his entire $1T fortune by 2036. Musk's reply: 'I am actually going to do something along these lines'
By Sydney LakeJuly 27, 2026
23 hours ago
The millennial generation is split in 2: an older crowd with boomer-style comfort, a younger set going 'back to the early 1900s'
Real Estate
The millennial generation is split in 2: an older crowd with boomer-style comfort, a younger set going 'back to the early 1900s'
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 25, 2026
3 days ago
LeBron James took a pay cut to maybe live in New York and commute to Philly by chopper, risking double taxation as NYC also tries to ban helicopters
Real Estate
LeBron James took a pay cut to maybe live in New York and commute to Philly by chopper, risking double taxation as NYC also tries to ban helicopters
By Catherina GioinoJuly 27, 2026
23 hours ago
I've been teaching college students for decades. Most of them can no longer finish a book
Commentary
I've been teaching college students for decades. Most of them can no longer finish a book
By Austin SaratJuly 26, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.