Apple says the Founding Fathers would be ‘appalled’ with the Justice Dept. for iPhone fight

The feud between Apple and the Justice Department took another turn Tuesday, as the technology giant used a new court filing to say that the Founding Fathers “would be appalled” with the government’s stance.

Apple argued that if the government prevails, it could force companies to do a number of other things going forward in the name of surveillance and security, such as seeking software that would use phones to track movements or listen to conversations. Apple added in a particularly acidic footnote: “The government is adept at devising new surveillance techniques.”

While the government has argued this case is about one locked iPhone belonging to one of the attackers who killed 14 people in San Bernardino, Calif., in December, Apple says this argument can only be resolved in the context of the larger debate playing out nationwide over encryption and security.