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Report: Nothing significant has been found on the San Bernardino iPhone yet

Earlier today, more details regarding how the FBI was able to gain access to the iPhone 5c used by one of the San Bernardino gunmen emerged. Now, a new report from CBS News is offering some information as to the contents of the device, or lack thereof rather. The report says that, as of right now, the FBI has not found anything of “real significance” on the device.

The report cites a law enforcement source and says that the Federal Bureau of Investigation will continue to analyze the contents of the iPhone 5c in question, but nothing of interest has been found yet.

Earlier this month, the FBI told press that it didn’t know at that point if the San Bernardino iPhone was actually useful and that it was “too early” to tell. Additionally, the government organization added that it didn’t know whether or not it would reveal its findings publicly once the examination was complete.

Today’s report falls in line with speculation from many prior to the FBI gaining access to the device. In February, the husband of a San Bernardino survivor explained that it was “unlikely” the terrorist’s iPhone contained any valuable information due to it being a county-owned phone. “Why then would someone store vital contacts related to an attack on a phone they knew the county had access to?,” he asked in a letter to the court before the case was dropped.

Earlier today, it was reported that Israel-based mobile forensics company Cellebrite was not behind the method the FBI used to gain access to the iPhone 5c. Instead, it was reported that a group of freelance hackers aided the FBI for a one-time fee.

While it’s significant that nothing of interest has yet been found on the iPhone, it’s still unlikely that the FBI would ever officially confirm this report. Whether or not it would confirm reports claiming that it did find useful information remains to be seen, but that situation is looking increasingly unlikely.

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Comments

  1. iSRS - 9 years ago

    GASP!!!! I am completely shocked

  2. taoprophet420 - 9 years ago

    None of the iCloud backups they had of the phone before they locked themselves out of it had any vital information. Why would the latest backup or phone itself be any different?

    • srgmac - 9 years ago

      No you don’t understand, Terrorism, and stuff. Terrorism dude. T-WORD. Drop everything (including your pants) and LET US IN…NOW!

  3. viciosodiego - 9 years ago

    Tell me something I didn’t know.
    Where are all the government employees.

  4. viciosodiego - 9 years ago

    The amount of uninformed sheep in the report’s comment section is shocking.
    That tells me that they support mr Trump.

  5. givemethedaily - 9 years ago

    This just in from the FBI, “Agents have found that water is wet”

  6. Michael Ray - 9 years ago

    ***BREAKING NEWS***
    In a recent turn of events, the US Gov’t has decided to divulge the actual truth in hopes that the public will once again regain confidence in a broken system.

  7. srgmac - 9 years ago

    Haha, if anyone actually thought there was something on the phone, you’re probably a Donald Trump supporter.

  8. Rich Davis (@RichDavis9) - 9 years ago

    Wow, all that for nothing. Surprise, Surprise. Kind of makes the whole concept of forcing companies to create a backdoor useless if there isn’t useful information on the device.

    • 89p13 - 9 years ago

      But . . . But . . . . Maybe, just maybe . . . . We might be able to discover where Jimmie Hoffa’s body is buried . . . . or, that it was Fidel Castro and the CIA who were behind the Kennedy Assassination . . . or, it will help us finally find Nemo! Nothing relevant to terrorism but it will answer some questions.

      Yep – waste or time AND money! US Citizen Tax Dollars wasted yet again . . .

      YMMV

  9. pika2000 - 9 years ago

    Still, taxpayers’ money has been wasted, and the same people are still in office (also paid by taxpayers).
    So laugh all you can people, but in the end you are funding this behavior of your government agency.

  10. Thomas Marble Peak - 9 years ago

    Encourage all companies to increase security on our software and devices. And, join me in donating to the EFF (https://supporters.eff.org/donate/button) to stand up for our rights.

Author

Avatar for Chance Miller Chance Miller

Chance is the editor-in-chief of 9to5Mac, overseeing the entire site’s operations. He also hosts the 9to5Mac Daily and 9to5Mac Happy Hour podcasts.

You can send tips, questions, and typos to chance@9to5mac.com.

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