Donald Trump Calls for Apple Boycott Amid San Bernardino iPhone Row

'What I think you ought to do is boycott Apple until they give that security number'

Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump called for a boycott against Apple until it complies with a U.S. government-mandated court order.

The court order calls the company to assist the FBI in unlocking an iPhone that belonged to one of the suspects behind the San Bernardino shooting, which left 14 people dead last year.

First of all, Apple ought to give [authorities] the security to that phone.

— Donald Trump

Opposing this order is not something we take lightly. We feel we must speak up in the face of what we see as an overreach by the U.S. government.

— Tim Cook, CEO, Apple

He added: “Opposing this order is not something we take lightly. We feel we must speak up in the face of what we see as an overreach by the U.S. government.”

Apple has until Feb. 26 to comply with the order, said Judge Sheri Pym, who issued the court order.

And on Friday, the government made clear that it was open to less intrusive options in a new legal filing intended to blunt public criticism by Cook.

“Apple may maintain custody of the software, destroy it after its purpose under the order has been served, refuse to disseminate it outside of Apple and make clear to the world that it does not apply to other devices or users without lawful court orders,” the Justice Department told Judge Pym. “No one outside Apple would have access to the software required by the order unless Apple itself chose to share it.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.