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FBI Stymied by Apple's Lockdown Mode After Seizing Journalist's iPhone
Apple’s Lockdown Mode prevented the FBI’s forensic team from accessing a reporter’s iPhone seized during a leak investigation, showing strong defense against sophisticated spyware.
- On Jan. 14, FBI agents seized Hannah Natanson's iPhone during a raid, but a Jan. 30 court filing shows Lockdown Mode blocked the FBI Computer Analysis Response Team from accessing it.
- Apple says Lockdown Mode is an `extreme protection` introduced in 2022 that limits message attachments, restricts web features, and blocks accessory connections unless the device is unlocked.
- The FBI Computer Analysis Response Team failed to extract data from the seized iPhone because it was in Lockdown Mode, and agents recovered only limited SIM card data with a telephone number report.
- Civil liberties groups warn the seizure threatens press protections under the 1980 federal law on newsgathering materials, while Attorney General Pam Bondi says the leak has significant national security implications.
- The episode highlights Lockdown Mode's real-world effectiveness at blocking forensic tools from companies like Cellebrite, though its tradeoffs may be worth it for high-risk users and frustrate law enforcement forensic teams.
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22 Articles
22 Articles
Apple’s Lockdown Mode stopped FBI from unlocking iPhone of a Washington Post journalist, report reveals
Court records show the FBI was unable to access a seized iPhone because Apple’s Lockdown Mode was enabled, highlighting how the iPhone’s security feature can limit phone access even during investigations.
·India
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Apple’s Lockdown Mode blocks FBI from accessing reporter’s seized iPhone
Apple’s Lockdown Mode blocked the FBI from accessing the iPhone of a Washington Post reporter, court records show. The finding sheds new light on the security feature’s effectiveness. The iPhone, owned by Hannah Natanson, was seized in January during a raid of the reporter’s home. Natanson was targeted as part of an investigation after allegedly receiving classified information from a government contractor. She, however, has not been accused of …
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Total News Sources22
Leaning Left3Leaning Right1Center6Last UpdatedBias Distribution60% Center
Bias Distribution
- 60% of the sources are Center
60% Center
L 30%
C 60%
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