You Should Still Expect Privacy After iPhone Unlocking, White House Says

Apple Unveils iPhone 6
CUPERTINO, CA - SEPTEMBER 09: Apple CEO Tim Cook shows off the new iPhone 6 and the Apple Watch during an Apple special event at the Flint Center for the Performing Arts on September 9, 2014 in Cupertino, California. Apple is expected to unveil the new iPhone 6 and wearble tech. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Photograph by Justin Sullivan—Getty Images

(Reuters) – The American people should “absolutely” still have confidence in their personal privacy despite the government’s success in unlocking an Apple iPhone belonging to a shooter in the San Bernardino, California, killings, the White House said on Wednesday.

“The reason they should be confident in that privacy is because there are laws on the books that are assiduously followed … that protect the privacy of the American people,” White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters. He added that privacy will be ensured “even as we undertake the necessary actions to protect our national security.”