WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — At issue is a court order that would force Apple to write software to open a locked phone that was used by a suspect in the December 2 terrorist attack in San Bernardino, California that left 14 people dead.
"The courts will sort that out faster than any legislative body could, but only that particular case," Comey told the House Judiciary Committee. "The broader question… I don’t see how the courts can resolve this tension between privacy and public safety."
Two conflicting court rulings are at play. A California judge ordered Apple to write software allowing the FBI to access an iPhone connected to the California attack, while a New York court on Monday denied a request from a New York prosecutor for access to phone in a drug case.
Legal experts have suggested that the conflicting rulings are likely to push both cases all the way to the US Supreme Court.
Against this backdrop, many lawmakers in the US Congress are eyeing legislation to set guidelines for courts in future cases.
