Despite its victory in a New York court yesterday, Apple may not be so successful elsewhere in fighting against federal authorities over iPhone encryption battle.
Yann Galut, a member of France's Socialist Party, has submitted an amendment to a bill aimed at strengthening the French government's ability to fight against terrorism — by arguing that…
Apple should pay a Million Euro ($1.08 Million) fine for every iPhone Apple refuses to unlock when asked to by law enforcement, The Local reported.
The same €1 Million penalty could apply to Google as well under similar conditions, forcing the tech companies to help its investigators extract data from a suspect's smartphone in terrorism cases.
The French police seized eight smartphones last year in terror investigations, but the authorities were unable to access them. With Apple and other tech companies unwilling to help the authorities, France wants to enforce new laws to force tech companies to comply with orders.
"We are faced with a legal vacuum when it comes to data encryption, and it's blocking judicial investigations," Galut told Le Parisien.
"Only money will force these extremely powerful companies like Apple and Google to comply. They are hiding behind a supposed privacy protection, but they're quick to make commercial use of personal data that they're collecting."Apple continues to battle against the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) over a court order to help the agency unlock an iPhone 5C belonging to San Bernardino shooter Syed Farook.
Other Silicon Valley giants, including Google, Facebook, WhatsApp and Twitter, defended Apple CEO Tim Cook's stance against the FBI in the controversial San Bernardino case and the need for strong protections built into smartphone devices.
Although it remains to be seen whether this proposed law will be approved, how the San Bernardino case is resolved in the United States will definitely impact how other countries might approach the tech giants.
