No information is good information when it comes to an iPhone used by the perpetrators of December’s terrorist attack in San Bernardino, unnamed law enforcement officials said on Tuesday.
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The phone “helped investigators address lingering concern that the two may have [had] help, perhaps from friends and family,” officials told CNN. Concerns had existed about an 18-minute timeline gap during which the terrorists drove around the San Bernardino area. The officials added that there was no evidence of encrypted communication, contact with other Islamic State members or any other evidence relevant to the investigation.
It is the second report to the same effect in as many weeks, though the framing of the latest story may be more helpful to officials at the Justice Department. A CBS report last week based on similarly unnamed sources found that “nothing significant” had been discovered on the device.
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For critics, the revelation could call into question why the FBI so vehemently sought to compel Apple’s assistance in accessing the phone. Critics pointed out repeatedly over the course of the legal battle that there was no evidence the device contained anything of value.
The FBI eventually managed to purchase a software solution for accessing the phone from an unidentified third party, though it apparently will not work on the company’s newer technology. The Justice Department is still seeking to obtain court orders compelling Apple to assist with accessing more than a dozen devices around the country.
