Apple’s Lockdown Mode blocked the FBI from accessing the iPhone of a Washington Post reporter, court records show. The finding sheds new light on the security feature’s effectiveness.
The iPhone, owned by Hannah Natanson, was seized in January during a raid of the reporter’s home. Natanson was targeted as part of an investigation after allegedly receiving classified information from a government contractor. She, however, has not been accused of committing a crime.
The tech news site 404 Media first reported on a court document that revealed the FBI’s failure to access Natanson’s phone.
“Because the iPhone was in Lockdown mode, CART could not extract that device,” the court record says. CART refers to the FBI’s Computer Analysis Response Team, a group that carries out forensic examinations of seized devices.
What Apple’s Lockdown Mode actually does
Lockdown Mode, according to Apple’s website, is a set of features that help protect certain models of iPhones, iPads and Mac computers “against extremely rare and highly sophisticated cyber attacks.”
“Lockdown Mode is an optional, extreme protection that’s designed for the very few individuals who, because of who they are or what they do, might be personally targeted by some of the most sophisticated digital threats,” Apple writes.
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Lockdown Mode is touted primarily as a defense against mercenary spyware, powerful surveillance tools that are often designed to remotely hack phones. Yet the feature can also protect against external accessories, such as tools used by law enforcement to crack into locked phones. Lockdown Mode protects against such tools, produced by companies like Cellebrite, by only allowing external devices to be accepted when the phone is unlocked.
What investigators seized
The FBI raided Natanson’s home in northern Virginia early on Jan. 14. Agents seized her phone; two laptop computers, one of which belongs to The Post; and a Garmin watch.
The court record revealing her phone was on Lockdown Mode was filed on Jan 30, indicating the FBI had not been able to access the device, according to 404 Media.
The government contractor accused of leaking classified information, 61-year-old Maryland resident Aurelio Luis Perez-Lugones, has been charged with five counts of unlawfully transmitting and one count of unlawfully retaining national defense information.
Why the raid is drawing scrutiny
The seizure of devices from Natanson has raised concern among civil liberties advocates, who say the targeting of a reporter violates the press protections outlined in the First Amendment. The FBI raided her home despite a 1980 federal law that says it is illegal for investigators to seize or search for newsgathering materials unless a reporter is suspected of committing crimes related to the materials.
As Straight Arrow News reported last month, it’s not clear what stories resulted from the alleged leaks to Natanson. She contributed to an article in October that cited government documents obtained by The Post as saying Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro had reached out to Russia, China and Iran for possible military aid.
Natanson was also among the reporters who wrote a November assessment of potential U.S. military strikes against Venezuela — a story that did not appear to be based on leaked material. In addition, she has written about administrative problems in the Social Security administration during the first year of President Donald Trump’s second term. Those articles include one headlined “How Social Security has gotten worse under Trump.”
In a statement on the case, Attorney General Pam Bondi described the leak as having significant national security implications.
“Illegally disclosing classified defense information is a grave crime against America that puts both our national security and the lives of our military heroes at risk.”
