Email: Clinton was pressured to avoid siding with the FBI during the iPhone encryption battle with Apple

Among the trove of thousands of Clinton campaign emails published by WikiLeaks is discussion of the encryption debate. In February 2016, at the height of Apple‘s face-0ff with the FBI, which wanted to unlock the San Bernardino shooter’s iPhone, Rep. Zoe Lofgren’s office emailed campaign chair John Podesta: “I hope that our candidate does not leap on the side of the FBI on the encryption ruling. If she is leaning that way, can I talk with her?” Podesta responded that he’d talk to Clinton though it’s not clear if a conversation ever took place. 

Several months earlier, Clinton seemed to side with Apple.When asked during a primary debate in December 2015 about the issue, she suggested that instead of breaking encryption, the U.S. should launch a “Manhattan-like project” to “bring the government and tech communities together” so that law enforcement can “prevent attacks.” She continued: “Maybe the back door isn’t the right door, and I understand what Apple and others are saying about that. I just think there’s got to be a way, and I would hope that our tech companies would work with government to figure that out.” MB