Access denied: Apple refuses to turn over iMessage records to US govt

Tech companies including Microsoft argue that if the US gets access to back doors, it will open a path for other govts

As tech giant Apple gears up to launch new versions of its popular iPhone and iPad mobile devices, news has emerged that it recently declined a request by the Department of Justice to hand over encrypted iMessages.

iMessages is a popular, encrypted, chat messaging system between Apple devices, much like BlackBerry’s famed BlackBerry Information System (BIS).

According to New York Times, the justice department had sought access to some iMessages as part of a criminal investigation involving drugs and guns.

But Apple turned down the request claiming that the service’s messages are encrypted in a way which prohibits the company or any other third party from reading them.

The DOJ is also in court against another tech giant, Microsoft, over a similar issue arguing that customer emails desired by the Department are stored overseas outside US law enforcement’s jurisdiction.

“Clearly, if the US government wins, the door is open for other governments to reach into data centers in the US,” Microsoft’s general counsel Brad Smith told the Times.

This article originally appeared on Time