Attorney General Bill Barr made Apple's refusal to build government back-doors into information on its iPhone part of the lead of his announcement on the December shooting at the Pensacola Naval Air Station.

Barr said Apple's practice of warrantless encryption is "dangerous" and "unacceptable."

Related: Barr Says Warrant-Proof Encryption Aids Sexual Exploitation

Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani shot and killed three U.S. sailors. Barr and Justice had sought Apple's help in unlocking the phones, but Apple had designed the phones so that only the user could gain access, something Justice is not happy with.

Related: CCIA 'Disayed' at Barr Encryption Stand

Barr announced that there was a definite link between Alshamrani and Al Quaeda, which had been confirmed because after four months the FBI had unlocked his phones, but added a "no thanks to Apple" high in his announcement. DOJ had a warrant, but it took DOJ four months to crack the encryption Apple had built in to protect user privacy.

"Four months ago, I announced that this shooting was an act of terrorism," Barr said. "I also publicly asked Apple to help us access the locked contents of the two iPhones belonging to the deceased terrorist Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani. It was clear at that time that the phones were likely to contain valuable information. Indeed, Alshamrani attempted to destroy both phones, even going so far as to disengage from the gunfight long enough to fire a bullet into one.

"Within one day of the shootings, the FBI sought and obtained court orders, supported by probable cause, authorizing the FBI to search the contents of both phones as part of its investigation. The problem was that the phones were locked and the FBI did not have the passwords, so they needed help to get in. We asked Apple for assistance and so did the President. Unfortunately, Apple would not help us unlock the phones. Apple had deliberately designed them so that only the user — in this case, the terrorist — could gain access to their contents. "

Barr said that the information secured by the FBI had already proven "invaluable" in protecting Americans, sending the clear message that those lives could have been protected months sooner had Apple built in a back door.

Barr has long argued that law enforcement must have access to secure devices to be able to deter and solve crimes, and that tech has to be part of the solution.

The concern predates Barr or the Trump Administration. FBI Director James Comey expressed similar concerns over warrant-proof encryption. 

Attorney General Bill Barr made Apple's refusal to build government back-doors into information on its iPhone part of the lead of his announcement on the December shooting at the Pensacola Naval Air Station. 

Barr said Apple's practice of warrantless encryption is "dangerous" and "unacceptable."

Related: Barr Says Warrant-Proof Encryption Aids Sexual Exploitation 

Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani shot and killed three U.S. sailors. Barr and Justice had sought Apple's help in unlocking the phones, but Apple had designed the phones so that only the user could gain access, something Justice is not happy with. 

Related: CCIA 'Disayed' at Barr Encryption Stand 

Barr announced that there was a definite link between Alshamrani and Al Quaeda, which had been confirmed because after four months the FBI had unlocked his phones, but added a "no thanks to Apple" high in his announcement. DOJ had a warrant, but it took DOJ four months to crack the encryption Apple had built in to protect user privacy. 

"Four months ago, I announced that this shooting was an act of terrorism," Barr said. "I also publicly asked Apple to help us access the locked contents of the two iPhones belonging to the deceased terrorist Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani. It was clear at that time that the phones were likely to contain valuable information. Indeed, Alshamrani attempted to destroy both phones, even going so far as to disengage from the gunfight long enough to fire a bullet into one.

"Within one day of the shootings, the FBI sought and obtained court orders, supported by probable cause, authorizing the FBI to search the contents of both phones as part of its investigation. The problem was that the phones were locked and the FBI did not have the passwords, so they needed help to get in. We asked Apple for assistance and so did the President. Unfortunately, Apple would not help us unlock the phones. Apple had deliberately designed them so that only the user — in this case, the terrorist — could gain access to their contents. " 

Barr said that the information secured by the FBI had already proven "invaluable" in protecting Americans, sending the clear message that those lives could have been protected months sooner had Apple built in a back door.    

Barr has long argued that law enforcement must have access to secure devices to be able to deter and solve crimes, and that technology has to be part of the solution. 

The concern predates Barr or the Trump Administration. FBI Director James Comey expressed similar concerns over warrant-proof encryption. 

U.S. software and digital content developers represented by the Software & Information Industry Association are backing the Christchurch Call, a government-industry partnership to combat terrorism, and the glorification of violent acts, online. 

"SIIA urges action to improve quick platform response time to terrorism in all of its manifestations, while also respecting freedom of expression and promoting narratives that counter violent extremism online," the groups said. 

The Christchurch Call effort was announced Wednesday (May 15) by New Zealand and France, marking the two-month anniversary of the March 15 Christchurch, New Zealand, terrorist attack that killed 51 and injured another half a hundred people, and which was live streamed to thousands of viewers. 

The "call" is to eliminate terrorist and violent extremist content online by securing commitments from governments and the tech sector.  

Governments signed on at press time did not include the Trump Administration, but did include Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Indonesia, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Jordan, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Senegal, Spain, Sweden, and the UK, many of whom have suffered through their own mass terrorist attacks. 

Tech companies signing on include Amazon, Google, Microsoft and Twitter.

"Respect for freedom of expression is fundamental. However, no one has the right to create and share terrorist and violent extremist content online," New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and French President Emmanuel Macron agreed in launching the initiative. 

They called on other countries and their tech sectors to get on board, and SIIA responded.  

“The Christchurch Call is an excellent initiative in taking action on the internet to both prevent terrorism and stop the glorification of terrorist acts," said SIIA President Jeff Joseph. "As SIIA has written, companies in this age of terrorism have take-down responsibilities; countervailing responsibilities to foster free speech and association; and, an affirmative responsibility to take steps to counter violent extremism. Today’s initiative shows that companies take these responsibilities seriously and are deepening cooperation with law enforcement authorities.  

SIIA board members include representatives from Google, Adobe and Intuit.

NBC's WTVJ Miami was reporting that Jonathan A. Camuy, who worked for co-owned Telemundo, was among the victims in the Orlando shooting at a nightclub early Sunday morning (June 12).

It said Camuy's death was confirmed in an email from NBCUniversal CEO Steve Burke, and a spokesperson for Telemundo confirmed that an employee was one of the victims.

Camuy had moved from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Florida to work for the network on La Voz Kids, which is produced in Orlando.

At last count, 49 people had been killed and 53 injured in the shooting.

WASHINGTON -- Federal Communications Commission chairman Tom Wheeler has "connected" with Facebook chairman, CEO and co-founder Mark Zuckerberg about the issue of social media and violence, according to an agency source speaking on background.

The source did not characterize the conversation, but said the bottom line for the chairman remains that the FCC does not regulate "edge providers" such as Facebook, the popular social-networking platform.

A group of legislators sent a letter to Wheeler last week seeking more information following his testimony at a House oversight hearing. At that hearing, several legislators wondered, in the wake of the Nov. 13 terrorist attacks in Paris, if the FCC could do something to shut down web sites that endorsed violence.

Wheeler said at the time that the government might be able to get at the issue via its definition of a "lawful intercept," but that was something Congress would have to define and update. Wheeler pointed to reports the Paris attackers were using PlayStation 4 to communicate. He also said network security was an issue. Wheeler promised to work with the committee if it needed to update its laws.

Among those concerned about the issue of violence and social media at the hearing was Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.), whose question about what the FCC could do to combat the use of social media to incite or endorse violence by gangs drew the Wheeler pledge to contact Zuckerberg that day (Nov. 18). Rush asked in his follow-up question about the status of the Zuckerberg conversation.

Wheeler had told Rush he would be happy to use the FCC's bully pulpit and "talk to Mark Zuckerberg and others" to raise the issue. "I will call Mark Zuckerberg this afternoon and I am sure he is concerned about it as well and will have some thoughts," he said.

Wheeler and Zuckerberg did not connect at that time (on Nov. 18), an FCC spokesperson confirmed to Multichannel News at the time, though members of their staffs did talk.