The Federal Bureau of Investigation should stop trying to compel Apple to break into one of the company’s own devices, a Democratic lawmaker suggested on Tuesday.
“We should all take a deep breath and talk to each other, rather than use a lawsuit to circumvent the critical and necessary policy discussions,” Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., wrote in a letter addressed to FBI Director James Comey.
“The precedent set in this case would essentially enact a policy proposal to weaken encryption that has not yet gained traction in Congress and was previously rejected by the White House,” he said, echoing language used last week by several senior Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee.
Last week, a federal judge ordered Apple to assist law enforcement in accessing an iPhone used by the perpetrators of the December terrorist attack in San Bernardino, Calif. Apple has objected, arguing that the case would set a precedent allowing officials to break into the company’s products at will.
Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance said last week that his office alone has 175 Apple devices that he is hopeful law enforcement will be able to access if the company is forced to cooperate.
Lieu concluded with a call for Comey to “withdraw the FBI’s demand of Apple,” along with its motion compelling the company to act.
“Let Congress, stakeholders, and the American people debate and resolve these difficult issues, not unelected judges based on conflicting interpretations of a law,” he wrote.
