Unlocking iPhone violates free-speech rights, says Apple

San Francisco

APPLE Inc on Thursday struck back in court against a US government demand that it unlock an encrypted iPhone belonging to one of the San Bernardino shooters, arguing such a move would violate its free-speech rights and override the will of Congress.

The high-stakes fight between Apple and the government had burst into the open last week, when the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) obtained a court order from a California court requiring Apple to write new software and take other measures to disable passcode protection and allow access to shooter Rizwan Farook's iPhone.