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Three trade groups — the Internet Association, the Computer and Communications Industry Association and the Internet Infrastructure Coalition — said this morning that they plan to file briefs supporting Apple in its dispute with the federal government.
These organizations argue that the government’s request that Apple develop software to undermine the security of an iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino shooters, so federal investigators can hack the device and extract information, has implications beyond a single phone.
“A government request that asks companies to engineer vulnerabilities into their products or services will harm national security and put user information at risk,” Internet Association CEO Michael Beckman said in a statement. “In this case, a false choice is presented with privacy as one option and security as the other. Encryption protects Americans and our infrastructure from countless daily attacks by those looking to do our nation harm. Strong encryption is security and safety online, and is a vital component of our national defenses.”
The groups are expected to argue that the 1789 All Writs Act that the courts cited in ordering Apple to develop a mutant version of its operating system — one that bypasses the pass code — has never been used before to compel companies to create new technologies that undermine fundamental features of their business.
Some 40 briefs are expected to be filed today in support of Apple.
Update: Heres’ the filing.
This article originally appeared on Recode.net.
