Big tech companies belatedly join Apple in encryption fight

Leading tech companies are rallying behind Apple - some belatedly - in its fight against a court order requiring the company to help investigators break into an iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino, California mass shooters.

A U.S. magistrate ordered Apple to produce software that would give investigators access to the iPhone at issue. Apple has until Feb. 23 to challenge that ruling, setting the stage for a legal clash that could determine whether tech companies or government authorities get the final say on just how secure devices like smartphones can be. CEO Tim Cook decried the order on Feb. 16, saying it would degrade iPhone security and make users more vulnerable to spies and cyber thieves.

"We stand with @tim_cook and Apple [and thank him for his leadership]!" Twitter chief executive Jack Dorsey wrote in a tweet on Feb. 18.

In a statement late Feb. 18, Facebook said it condemns terrorism and also appreciates the essential work of law enforcement in keeping people safe. But it said it will "fight aggressively" against requirements for companies to weaken the security of their systems.

"These demands would create a chilling precedent and obstruct companies' efforts to secure their products," the statement said.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai also voiced support for Apple in a series of earlier tweets. "Forcing companies to enable hacking could compromise users' privacy," Pichai wrote on Feb. 17, adding that the case "could be a troubling precedent."

The government isn't asking Apple to help break the iPhone's encryption directly, but to disable other security measures that prevent attempts to guess the phone's passcode.

Cook argues that once such a tool is available, "the technique could be used over...