Big Tech Companies Are Joining Apple in Its Encryption Fight

The tech industry is starting to line up with Apple in its fight against the federal government over the encryption it uses to keep iPhones secure

The Apple logo is displayed on the exterior of an Apple Store on April 23, 2013 in San Francisco, California. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

SAN FRANCISCO—The tech industry is starting to line up with Apple in its fight against the federal government over the encryption it uses to keep iPhones secure.

Earlier this week, a U.S. magistrate ordered Apple to help investigators break into an iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino mass shooters. Apple has until next Tuesday to challenge that ruling, setting the stage for a legal clash that could determine whether tech companies or government authorities get the final say on just how secure devices like smartphones can be.

CEO Tim Cook decried the order on Tuesday, saying it would degrade iPhone security and make users more vulnerable to spies and cyber thieves. Increasingly, other prominent tech companies agree.

Apple CEO Tim Cook in San Francisco on March 9, 2015. Stephen Lam/Getty Images