In an ongoing battle against the federal government for Apple to unlock an encrypted iPhone, Apple engineers joined in with the company to resist law enforcement in request to disable existing iOS encryption, claiming that they would quit their jobs if the FBI wins court fight.
According to The New York Times stating, more than a half-dozen current and former Apple employees, whom they were assigned by the FBI to build a backdoor to an encrypted iPhone may decline its request to do so, and they are willing to put their jobs on the line, where Apple engineers may quit the company entirely as an alternative option rather than helping break the security measures if the court order pushes through.
Former Apple executive Jean-Louis Gassée said, "It's an independent culture and a rebellious one, if the government tries to compel testimony or action from these engineers, good luck with that."
This views also reflects Apple's CEO Tim Cook and SVP's Eddy Cue and Craig Federighi on the heated opposition.
This could present a roadblock for the FBI, where a court order can push Apple to assist on breaking into the iPhone, but it can't stop Apple employees from resigning rather than siding with the FBI. If Apple engineers goes through to leave the company, it may cause a long delay for the federal government to unlock the iPhone.
Apple has been in numerous debates over smartphone encryption that alters a user's privacy and rights against national security. In February, the company was ordered by a federal judge to aid the FBI to break in an iPhone belonging to the San Bernardino shooter Syed Rizwan Farook. The company refused the request stating that bypassing the security measures goes against their values, and they will continue to go against the FBI in any further demands to break in iPhone encryption.
