US used tactic from Apple encryption fight in 60 other phone-unlocking cases

Privacy watchdog finds US government has repeatedly relied on All Writs Act to try to force Google or Apple to unlock a phone, as in the San Bernardino case

The US government has used the same legal tactic it deployed in its encryption fight with Apple in more than 60 other phone-unlocking cases, according to a tally by a privacy watchdog, including other iPhones and devices running Google's Android operating system.

The American Civil Liberties Union scoured court records across the US for cases where the government relied on the All Writs Act to try to force Google or Apple to help them unlock a phone. The statute, which has its origins in a more than 200-year-old legal principle, gives judges broad authority to ensure their orders - such as search warrants - are fulfilled.