Technology giant Apple has refused to comply with a court order to unlock an iPhone belonging a gunman behind a mass California shooting.
Since Syed Farook and his wife Tashfeen Malik killed 14 people in San Bernardino last December, the FBI has been investigating terrorist links.
It wants access to Farook's mobile phone, but there's a technological catch. Currently, all data is wiped from an iPhone after 10 failed attempts to key in a pin code.
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The FBI wants Apple to write new software that would override that security encryption feature. This would allow authorities to bombard the phone with random numbers until the code is cracked.
The case has sparked debate here about government access to information in an age of advanced technology and terror threats. Attorney-General George Brandis points to the large amount of data being encrypted to such a degree the only way it can be obtained is through the manufacturer of the device.
"That makes inaccessible relevant investigative information that would hitherto have been accessible and that's a problem for law enforcement agencies," he said.
White House press secretary Josh Earnest has tried to play down the scope of the court bid.
"They are not asking Apple to redesign its product or to create a new backdoor to one of their products," he said. "They're simply asking for something that would have an impact on this one device."
But the company warns it could have a devastating knock-on effect to its security and is challenging a court order to comply.
CEO Tim Cook said Apple had worked hard to help the Government solve the horrible crime and had no sympathy for terrorists.
He said compromising the security of information could ultimately put personal safety at risk, and that is why encryption is so important.
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According to security expert Professor Greg Barton there is a good argument for the FBI to access the data but there was much at stake for Apple.
"If they are forced to modify their software, if they are forced to provide backdoor entry for investigators then from Apple's point of view that's not just a concern in terms of police investigators but also others - hackers, criminal hackers, commercial hackers," he said.
Melbourne University communications expert Dr Suelette Dreyfus believes there is no reason for authorities to cry poor when it came to accessing personal data.
"Sure it's a balancing act, but let's remember law enforcement agencies in Australia and the US have a vast array of other ways of collecting information about the bad guys."
