Tim Cook Says Backdoor Into iPhone Would be 'Software Equivalent of Cancer'

Apple CEO Tim Cook spoke to ABC News' David Muir about why the company is opposing the FBI's demand that it build a backdoor into the iPhone.

The CEO of the tech giant defended Apple's position, saying the security of the public is far too important to risk.

In the interview, Cook said, "Apple has cooperated with the FBI fully in this case. They came to us and asked us for all the information we had on this phone and we gave everything that we had, but this case is not about one phone. This case is about the future. What is at stake here is can the government compel Apple to write software that we believe would make hundreds of millions of customers vulnerable around the world, including the U.S."


When asked if Apple would have to write that system in order to unlock the phone, Cook replied, "Yes, the only way we know would be to write a piece of software that we view as sort of the software equivalent of cancer. We think it's bad news to write, we would never write it, we have never written it and that is what is at stake here."

Take a look at the interview below...