"Governments trying to undermine encryption should think twice before they open this Pandora’s Box," Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for Global Issues Sherif Elsayed-Ali said in the release.
At issue is an iPhone used by one of two terrorists in the December attack in San Bernardino, California, which killed 14 people and injured 22.
On Monday, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said it would attempt to unlock the iPhone without Apple’s help, resulting in the cancellation of today’s court hearing.
Elsayed-Ali pointed out that weakening privacy online could have "disastrous consequences for free societies, particularly for the human rights activists and journalists who hold our leaders to account."
Apple says it will fight the court order all the way to the US Supreme Court, because unlocking the iPhone would require it to create software that could subject its customers to spying by government agents and hackers.
