A Guide to the Sharpest Arguments by Apple's Allies in the Encryption Case

Anyone who wants to stick up for Apple in its legal dispute with the Federal Bureau of Investigation has until Thursday evening to file an amicus brief. The government wants Apple to write code that would help unlock an iPhone used by an alleged terrorist. Opponents of this push by the government have adopted the shorthand "GovtOS" to refer to the code, and the briefs rolling into the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California from Apple's allies give a wide-ranging look at the worst-case scenarios that could follow. Here’s a look at the basic arguments being made in the briefs, with updates coming to this story throughout the day, as new filings arrive.

A group of prominent security experts, including Bruce Shneier and Jonathan Zdziarski, argue against the use of the All Writs Act to compel Apple to help unlock its phone because that would inspire the government to make ever-wider requests in the future: