At least two congressional committees are planning hearings after Apple's refusal to help the FBI unlock a phone used by a terrorist.
The House Judiciary Committee asked officials from Apple to testify at a March 1 hearing, according to people familiar with the planning. And the House Energy and Commerce Committee sent letters Friday to Tim Cook, Apple's chief executive, and FBI Director James Comey, asking them to testify. A date wasn't specified.
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The hearings follow Apple's refusal to comply with a court order obtained Tuesday by the FBI that requires the company to help unlock an iPhone used by the gunman in the December massacre in San Bernardino, California. Apple hasn't responded to the congressional invitations.
Lawmakers on the Judiciary committee are divided over Apple's stance, reflecting a lack of consensus that has thwarted congressional efforts in recent years to strike a balance between privacy rights and law enforcement.
"Allowing the government to mandate that Apple undermine its encryption technology to create a backdoor for government agents is unlawful, unwise and unsafe," said Representative Darrell Issa, a California Republican.
