Facebook, Twitter side with Apple in iPhone fight

SAN FRANCISCO — Facebook and Twitter sided with Apple in the public spat with the Obama administration over its refusal to help the FBI break into the iPhone of San Bernardino, Calif., shooter Syed Rizwan Farook.

Facebook warned that a federal judge's order this week to force Apple bypass security functions on the iPhone used by Farook, one of the assailants in the December mass shootings in San Bernardino, Calif., that killed 14 people, would set a "chilling precedent."

The social media giant pledged to "fight aggressively" against government efforts to "weaken the security" of consumer tech products.

"We condemn terrorism and have total solidarity with victims of terror. Those who seek to praise, promote, or plan terrorist acts have no place on our services. We also appreciate the difficult and essential work of law enforcement to keep people safe," the statement reads. "When we receive lawful requests from these authorities we comply. However, we will continue to 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."

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Apple's CEO Tim Cook has said his company will not comply with the order to hack into the iPhone.

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey expressed his solidarity on Twitter. "We stand with @tim_cook and Apple (and thank him for his leadership)!" he wrote.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai voiced support for Apple on Wednesday, saying "forcing companies to enable hacking could compromise users’ privacy" and would set a "troubling precedent."

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The reaction from other major technology companies has been more muted. Yahoo and Microsoft declined to comment, referring reporters to statements from industry trade groups. Twitter did not respond to a request for comment.

“Governments should not require the weakening of these necessary security standards. All Americans should be concerned with a precedent that mandates vulnerabilities in encryption," said a statement from Michael Beckerman, president and CEO of the Internet Association, one of the trade groups.

Facebook, like Apple, has sweeping overseas ambitions in markets where growth hinges on customers entrusting these companies with the most intimate details of their lives without qualms that the U.S. government or their own government may gain unfettered access to their personal information.