Last year, Apple and the FBI fought in the courts and created a huge scandal after the American federal agency asked to unlock an iPhone, and those from Cupertino refused. It was about an iPhone 5C used by a terrorist before an attack in the US, Apple refusing to comply with a court order forcing it to unlock that terminal.
Because he failed to force Apple to unlock that iPhone, the FBI hired a computer security company to do it. The FBI did not disclose the amount paid to unlock that terminal, and probably others it had in its possession, but a US senator revealed today that it was about 900.000 dollars.
The amount paid by the FBI to gain access to that iPhone is very high, and the director of the agency was criticized for paying it. The worst part for the FBI is that nothing important was discovered in that iPhone, the rest of the terrorists' electronic devices were also destroyed before the attack.
Although the amount is very large, it is likely that the FBI will gain access to other iPhones that have a similar version of the operating system, but for now nothing is clear. Those from the FBI did not provide details regarding what was offered to them with this money, but probably in time we will also find out what such a large amount of money spent by a federal government agency buys.
California's Feinstein cited the amount while questioning FBI Director James Comey at a Senate Judiciary Committee oversight hearing Wednesday. "I was so struck when San Bernardino happened and you made overtures to allow that device to be opened, and then the FBI had to spend $900,000 to hack it open," Feinstein said.
