In February 2016 , the Federal Bureau of Investigation , as part of its investigation into the 2015 San Bernardino attack , obtained a court order that demanded that Apple create a version of its operating system that would allow the FBI to circumvent security controls , so that it could inspect the contents of an iPhone used by one of the terrorists involved in the attack . Apple claimed the order " would undermine the very freedoms and liberty our government is meant to protect " and appealed . On March 28 , 2016 , the DOJ reported that it had retrieved the data from the attacker 's iPhone through an alternative method without Apple 's assistance , ending the legal proceedings
2015 San Bernardino attack
2015 San Bernardino attack
Apple Inc. litigation