We have already explained in detail here how the GrayKey, the infamous black box from a somewhat obscure company called Grayshift that unlocks any iPhone running recent versions of iOS.
We also say that the United States Department of State has already tried to buy yours to carry out operations on the threshold of legality and to unlock iPhones recovered from criminals or suspects. Now, we have the next step in the natural continuation of this story.
According to a report by Motherboard, police from various states and locations in the USA already have a GrayKey to call yours, unlocking iPhones at your leisure. Forces like the Maryland State Police, the Indiana State Police and the Miami-Dade State Police are some of those cited by the story as having one or more black boxes in their hands – or receiving one very soon.
THE CIA he has also taken the scorpion out of his pocket to buy the relatively cheap tool (“relatively” because the process of unlocking an iPhone by Cellebrite, for example, costs hundreds of times more). Anti-drug departments are also interested in GrayKey, according to the sources.
But why is this a problem, exactly? Well, in addition to the use of the tool being, as I said, on the threshold of legality with regard to the invasion of privacy and civil law in general, the information also contradicts statements recently given by the FBI. The security agency has stated on several occasions that the options for unlocking iPhones among US law enforcement forces are dwindling and that this is hampering a series of ongoing investigations.
The FBI’s statements – that if the information brought by the Motherboard proceed, they are very liars – they can be the way for another round of lobby of the agency for Apple to create a special operating system with purposeful loopholes that allow it to access such data at any time, something that Apple has always vehemently denied and shows no signs of going back.
For the FBI, of course, it’s much more convenient to have a special system and be able to access any iPhone without moving a straw than having to spend time and money on GrayKey or any other third-party unlocking solution. But the strategies for trying to convince Apple – and public opinion – of this may not be the most noble, it seems.
via 9to5Mac
