Mark Zuckerberg 'sympathetic' with Apple over FBI but 'we'll help government'

Facebook chief executive qualifies comments supportive of Tim Cook, saying social network is guided by 'a big responsibility to help prevent terrorism'

Mark Zuckerberg said on Monday that he was "sympathetic" with Apple's chief executive Tim Cook in his standoff with the FBI - but the Facebook boss left the door open to helping authorities fight terrorism and "different types of attacks".

"If we have opportunities to basically work with the government to make sure there are not terrorist attacks, obviously we are going to take those opportunities," Zuckerberg told delegates at the world's biggest mobile congress in Barcelona.