Privacy groups urge U.S. judge to support Apple in iPhone case

March 2 (Reuters) - Digital privacy advocates have called on
a U.S. federal judge to approve Apple Inc's AAPL.O request not
to be compelled to build software to help the FBI unlock an
iPhone used by one of the shooters in the San Bernardino attack.
The American Civil Liberties Union, Access Now and the Wickr
Foundation laid out arguments in amicus briefs released on
Wednesday ahead of a March 22 hearing in which Judge Sheri Pym
will review Apple's appeal of a court order demanding it help
unlock a phone used by Rizwan Farook.
Alphabet Inc's GOOGL.O Google, Facebook Inc FB.O ,
Microsoft Corp MSFT.O and Twitter (NYSE:TWTR) Inc TWTR.N also plan to
file similar briefs, Twitter, Microsoft and people familiar with
the plans of the other two companies said last week. L2N1642BW
The ACLU argued that the FBI's request would undermine the
privacy and security of Americans by forcing a private firm to
act as its investigative agent, seeking information that it does
not already possess.
"Law enforcement may not commandeer innocent third parties
into becoming its undercover agents, its spies, or its hackers,"
according to a draft of the brief obtained by Reuters.
Access Now and the Wickr Foundation, which both advise
activists on digital privacy, said in a joint brief that
complying with the order would undermine human rights around the
globe.
"In some countries reliable security tools such as
encryption can be the difference between life and death," their
brief says. "The relief sought by the government endangers
people globally who depend on robust digital security for their
physical safety and wellbeing."
The U.S. government has said the Dec. 2 attack in San
Bernardino, California, was inspired by Islamist militants, and
the FBI wants to read the data on Farook's phone to investigate
any links with militant groups. Farook and his wife, Tashfeen
Malik, shot and killed 14 people and wounded 22 others before
they themselves were killed in a shootout with police.