France wants to fine Apple 1 million Euros for each iPhone not unlocked

posted by Alan F. / Mar 02, 2016, 5:53 AM

France wants to fine Apple 1 million Euros for each iPhone not unlocked

With the high profile legal impasse between Apple and the U.S. government over the latter's demand that Apple unlock a dead terrorist's iPhone, France is preparing for a similar situation. But the country is taking a different tact than the U.S. Looking to hit Apple right where it hurts, France is looking to put in place a fine of one million Euros ($1.08 million USD) for each iPhone unit not unlocked by Apple after being requested to do so by the French government. Just the other day, Apple was the beneficiary of a positive court ruling that said the U.S. government could not use the All Writs Act to force Apple to unlock an iPhone owned by a drug dealer.

Last year, there were eight smartphones that belonged to alleged terrorists that the French government could not get unlocked. This created a backlash in the country against phone manufacturers like Apple and Samsung. We should point out that the one million Euro fine would apply to Google as well as Apple if the former fails to unlock an Android phone after being requested to do so by a French court.

In the case involving the Apple iPhone 5c used by San Bernardino Terrorist Syed Farook, the only way Apple can comply with the court order would be to build a new version of iOS. Dubbed "GovtOS by Apple, this new software would allow the phone to be unlocked by Apple. Another avenue that Apple could have used, backing up the phone to iCloud over Wi-Fi, would have yielded the information sought by the government. However, the San Bernardino Department of Health, the owner of the iPhone used by Farook, changed the Apple ID of the device at the behest of the FBI. Without the ID, Apple could not use this method to give the government what it wants.

"We are faced with a legal vacuum when it comes to data encryption, and it's blocking judicial investigations. Only money will force these extremely powerful companies like Apple and Google to comply. They are hiding behind a supposed privacy protection, but they're quick to make commercial use of personal data that they're collecting."-Yann GalutFrench Socialist MP

Last week, it was revealed that three days after the attack that left 14 dead, Apple turned over to the government parcels of information requested by law enforcement agencies.

source: TheLocal.fr via SlashGear

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51 Comments

1. sip1995

Posts: 1771; Member since: Feb 07, 2014

Who didn't see that coming.......in Europe.

posted on Mar 02, 2016, 5:55 AM 0

48. rubertus

Posts: 57; Member since: Oct 07, 2014

France is the greediest of all d?cks! Fining everyone left and right, those politicians want money money money money, not one dime will be used on the people and to improve the country.

posted on Mar 02, 2016, 3:22 PM 0

51. Good-Is-Better

Posts: 105; Member since: Nov 12, 2015

I support France. Now the win has started blowing, we will see how far it will go. More and more governments will come in. China will soon land their own deal, and waiting for what Russia has in store for Apple. That is just the beginning. In Europe and the rest of the world, they don't ask if a company can do something, they command them to do it.

posted on Mar 02, 2016, 4:18 PM 0

55. ibend

Posts: 6747; Member since: Sep 30, 2014

yeah right, that a good way to help their national economic.. and to proove that iPhone really cant be unlocked :D

posted on Mar 03, 2016, 12:40 AM 0

2. GreenMan

Posts: 2694; Member since: Nov 09, 2015

Ah! French....! “A vaincre sans péril, on triomphe sans gloire” Translation: "To win without risk is a triumph without glory..." Maybe, they should stick with their paint brushes...

posted on Mar 02, 2016, 6:08 AM 0

3. GreenMan

Posts: 2694; Member since: Nov 09, 2015

So what I meant by “A vaincre sans péril, on triomphe sans gloire” is that Apple definitely has a huge pile of risks up ahead if it decides to continue on the path it has chosen... But what's the point of winning without any risks, eh? Haters will be haters... And... Similarly, morons will be morons, savvy?

posted on Mar 02, 2016, 6:13 AM 0

43. TechieXP1969

Posts: 14967; Member since: Sep 25, 2013

Nothing you said made sense. Even you don't understand what you said and the context of its usage.

posted on Mar 02, 2016, 2:56 PM 2

4. ThePython

Posts: 902; Member since: May 08, 2013

*rolls eyes*

posted on Mar 02, 2016, 6:16 AM 7

6. S.R.K.

Posts: 678; Member since: Feb 11, 2016

What is that suppose to mean? Are you happy?

posted on Mar 02, 2016, 6:18 AM 0

8. xondk

Posts: 1904; Member since: Mar 25, 2014

Well this is a tricky situation, there's privacy laws, there's preventive unlocking of a phone to prevent terrorist acts, and then there's when a terrorist act has occurred and unlocking said terrorists phones.... But that said France has every right to place said fine, because it is a point of frustration in such situations.. So.. Privacy vs terrorist prevention vs terrorist action Not an easy thing, especially the prevention thing because we've seen how massively privacy has been invaded/monitored before under the excuse of protecting people from something.

posted on Mar 02, 2016, 6:33 AM 0

44. TechieXP1969

Posts: 14967; Member since: Sep 25, 2013

The terrorist act wasn't committed with the phone. Just because the FBI "thinks" the phone has information doesn't mean it does. Who is to say that if Apple did unlock and the FBI finds nothing, they won't lie and claim they did. ALL COPS LIE. The higher up they are the more crocked they are. Especially when you have the President signing off on your misconduct.

posted on Mar 02, 2016, 2:58 PM 2

47. xondk

Posts: 1904; Member since: Mar 25, 2014

Its unfortunate its been proven they do lie, doesn't help the good cops that do exist.

posted on Mar 02, 2016, 3:17 PM 0

56. chromoid

Posts: 37; Member since: Oct 03, 2013

Everybody lies. Right now you. It has not been proven that cops don't lie, and its impossible to prove because they do. Going though proving by contradiction, I could get 1 cop to make a lie about anything that proves they lie. So just lose the act that cop don't lie. An unrealistic reality that you will never be able to prove

posted on Mar 03, 2016, 4:10 PM 1

57. xondk

Posts: 1904; Member since: Mar 25, 2014

uh..I am not lying, its been proven that the various cops have lied in term of privacy invasion and spying, that has been proven and that was all I said. I didn't say they "don't" lie, because obviously I couldn't say which cops lie or not, but it is pretty clear that the various organizations aren't all bad cops.

posted on Mar 03, 2016, 5:31 PM 1

9. Trakker

Posts: 283; Member since: Feb 11, 2016

I'm not at all surprised France would do this since they have some of the most stupidly oppressive laws in the world.

posted on Mar 02, 2016, 6:41 AM 4

23. sachouba

Posts: 261; Member since: Jun 08, 2014

What laws ?

posted on Mar 02, 2016, 7:25 AM 6

33. Trakker

Posts: 283; Member since: Feb 11, 2016

Things like the good samaritan law and having to carry your own breathalyser in the car.

posted on Mar 02, 2016, 9:44 AM 1

16. grbrao

Posts: 294; Member since: Nov 23, 2012

apple will happly do that.. unlike FEDs asking for a backdoor, Fracne is asking to unlock.. take the phone to apple and the problem solved... All these issues are coming before the release of new ipad and iphone... dose this ring a bell? nice advertising from apple...

posted on Mar 02, 2016, 7:00 AM 8

25. TerryTerius unregistered

So you're saying that Apple organized the Paris and San Bernardino terrorist attacks in order for them to get free advertising months later for challenging the government in what may be the most significant privacy rights related case in decades.... Okay. Or am I misreading your suggestion?

posted on Mar 02, 2016, 7:33 AM 15

27. SPASE

Posts: 257; Member since: May 03, 2013

I don't think he meant that they orchestrated the terrorist attacks, but that apple is using these incidents as a back drop for advertising there security. Well, I hope that's what he meant.

posted on Mar 02, 2016, 7:56 AM 9

45. TechieXP1969

Posts: 14967; Member since: Sep 25, 2013

No! That isn't what he is saying. He is saying that Apple is getting free publicity from it and it could lead to more sales. Which in fact is correct. After all, Apple suing Samsung, gained more attention to Samsung and it also increased sales of their phones. After all, Apple is scared of Samsung as they were of Microsoft. They sued both companies out of fear of losing the market they started with their ignorant business plan.

posted on Mar 02, 2016, 3:01 PM 1

30. TimVierb

Posts: 6; Member since: Sep 19, 2012

you don't get it do you? they can't unlock the iPhone without creating a new operating system where a unlock (backdoor) exists. Currently it does not exist there is no way for apple to do anything without essentially doing what the feds in the U.S want.

posted on Mar 02, 2016, 8:33 AM 2

53. Plutonium239

Posts: 1144; Member since: Mar 17, 2015

The FBI cannot do it, but there are a great many hackers in the world that can do it easily.

posted on Mar 02, 2016, 7:19 PM 0

28. sissy246

Posts: 6959; Member since: Mar 04, 2015

TerryTerius I think what he is saying is since it did happen apple is taking advantage of it . All the other times apple did help you never heard a thing about it but this time they are taking advantage making them the good guy and hopping it will turn more people to Apple. For me it just makes me hate them even more.

posted on Mar 02, 2016, 7:56 AM 0

31. tokuzumi

Posts: 1800; Member since: Aug 27, 2009

This is France. No one cares about France. They'll probably lose the war with Apple, too, much like they have lost most wars they've been in.

posted on Mar 02, 2016, 8:52 AM 2

34. CosmicLion

Posts: 15; Member since: Sep 15, 2014

Great. Not unlocking the terrorist's phone is obstruction of justice.

posted on Mar 02, 2016, 10:01 AM 1

40. HR_19

Posts: 103; Member since: Aug 09, 2014

Only if they have the ability. At present, they claim not to have the ability (I don't believe that, but that's beside the point). If they are physically unable to comply, it's not obstruction of justice.