FBI Reveal Terrorist Changed iCloud Password and Other News

After a long break, we’re back with more exciting news! There’s a lot to cover, and very little time to do it. Let’s start the week with a Tuesday post!

FBI Reveal Terrorist Changed iCloud Password & Other Apple-FBI Updates

After much negative publicity regarding the FBI’s decision to change the iCloud password used on the device belonging to Syed Farook, the attacker involved in the San Bernardino shootings, FBI supervisory special agent Christopher Pluhar revealed that Farook had changed his iCloud password along with the password weeks before the shooting took place. Along with the password change, Farook also turned off automatic iCloud backups to Apple’s servers.

The government also says that, in order to resolve the case, Apple may also share the official iOS source code along with the encryption key used to sign software updates.

“For the reasons discussed above, the FBI cannot itself modify the software on Farook’s iPhone without access to the source code and Apple’s private electronic signature. The government did not seek to compel Apple to turn those over because it believed such a request would be less palatable to Apple. If Apple would prefer that course, however, that may provide an alternative that requires less labor by Apple programmers.”

At the SXSW conference in Austin (Texas), President Barack Obama urged the public to allow smartphone backdoor access, and not turn modern smartphone devices into digital ‘black boxes’.

“You cannot take an absolutist view on this. If your argument is strong encryption no matter what, and we can and should create black boxes, that I think does not strike the kind of balance we have lived with for 200, 300 years, and it’s fetishizing our phones above every other value,” he argued.

Also having given a virtual speech at the SXSW conference, Edward Snowden said he believes that the FBI is asking Apple to create a custom iOS version out of convenience, not necessity. He says that the process of creating a ‘hackable’ iOS version would be far too expensive and time-consuming for the FBI.

Ad Blocking Survey Reveals Shocking Statistic

Tune, a mobile marketing company, found out that around 25% of people downloaded and used an ad blocker or ad-blocking browser on their mobile phone. They said that the figure could reach 80% by 2017.

Facebook Acquires Image Filters Startup Masquerade

In order to deepen their roots in image filters and effects, Facebook has acquired Masquerade (MSQRD), a smartphone app that adds filters to photos and images.

“Masquerade has built a fantastic app, MSQRD, with world-class imaging technology for video. We’re excited to welcome Masquerade to our team and continue enhancing the Facebook video experience,” Facebook said.