Justice Department withdraws another demand for Apple’s help with passcode

The Justice Department notified a federal court in Brooklyn that it no longer needs Apple’s help in pulling data from a drug dealer’s iPhone after someone came forward with a passcode.

The surprise notice marked the second time in less than a month that the government withdrew its demand for Apple’s help and brought to a close a closely-watched legal battle over the government’s authority to force technical assistance from a tech firm. The unnamed individual provided the passcode and the government was then able to gain access to the iPhone, US Attorney Robert L. Capers wrote in a one-paragraph submission to Judge Margo K. Brodie in the Eastern District of New York.