Bill Gates has spoken out regarding Apple’s refusal to modify an iPhone 5C for the FBI as per a court order, and he has sided with the law.

In an open letter last week Apple Chief Executive Officer, Tim Cook, said that Apple would not comply with a court request to modify an iPhone so that the FBI would be able to get past the pass code without wiping the handset.

The iPhone in question belonged to one of the shooters responsible for the San Bernadino massacre in December 2015.

Speaking to The Financial Times, Gates said, “This is a specific case where the government is asking for access to information. They are not asking for some general thing, they are asking for a particular case.”

According to Gates the request from the FBI will not threaten encryption. He told the Financial Times that this matter was no different from authorities approaching banks and telephone companies for information pertaining to a criminal investigation, these incidents are not the norm but necessary in light of special circumstances.

Gates went on to emphasis his point saying, “let’s say the bank had tied a ribbon round the disk drive and said ‘don’t make me cut this ribbon because you’ll make me cut it many times.'”

With that said, Gates does believe that there need to be safe guards in place when authorities access protected information so that it doesn’t become the norm.

In an internal memo sent to employees yesterday, Cook has said that the best way forward is for the government to assemble a panel of experts and to “withdraw its demands under the All Writs Act”.

Cook hopes discussing the matter will lead to an amicable solution that won’t allow government to wonder through the online profiles of private citizens without them knowing about it.

[Via – Mashable] [Image – ND BY/2.0 OnInnovation]