Apple says it refused China request for source code in last two years

Washington

APPLE Inc was asked by Chinese authorities within the last two years to hand over its source code but refused, the company's top lawyer told lawmakers on Tuesday in response to US law enforcement criticism of its stance on technology security.

The congressional testimony highlighted an issue at the heart of a heated disagreement between Apple and the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) over unlocking encrypted data from an iPhone linked to last December's San Bernardino, California shootings - how much private technology companies should cooperate with governments.