Sales impact of Apple's privacy stand unclear

San Francisco

APPLE Inc chief executive Tim Cook's refusal to comply with the US government's request to unlock an iPhone of one of the San Bernardino, California attackers drew strong reaction from critics and supporters this week, but it is unclear how the decision will affect potential buyers of the company's products.

In an open letter to customers, Mr Cook vowed to fight a court order from a Los Angeles judge to provide "reasonable technical assistance" to investigators wanting access to the phone of Rizwan Farook, a shooter in the San Bernardino at…