Eight Memorable Passages From Apple's Fiery Response to the FBI

By Jenna McLaughlin, The Intercept

28 February 16

t’s a legal motion for the ages.

The response Apple lawyers filed Thursday to a court order that the company write software to defeat its own security protocols is exhaustive, fiery, accessible, and full of memorable passages.

The lawyers were asking a federal magistrate judge to vacate what they called her “unprecedented and oppressive” order demanding that Apple design and build software to hack into an iPhone used by San Bernardino killer Syed Rizwan Farook.

And they were relentless.

Years from now, people will look back and recall:

1. When Apple called the government out for trying to make Apple compromise on its security when the government itself has terrible cyber hygiene:
   
   

2. When Apple said the government was stoking fear but was too afraid to make its case before Congress:
   
   

3. When Apple said the Department of Justice and the FBI were lying because they knew full well this case isn’t about just one phone:
   
   

4. When Apple pointed out that the government reset the phone’s password without asking Apple for help first:
   
   

5. When Apple told the world about how the government obtained the court order in secret and then told reporters about it before Apple had a chance to respond:
   
   

6. When Apple pointed out that the FBI director was behaving somewhat suspiciously:
   
   

7. When Apple pointed out that it couldn’t just write the software then destroy it and forget it ever existed:
   
   

8. When Apple spelled out the potential consequences for companies in the future if the FBI succeeds: