The FBI has encountered challenges accessing an iPhone belonging to Hannah Natanson, a reporter for the Washington Post, due to its activation of Apple’s Lockdown Mode during a search conducted on January 14 at her residence in Virginia. While agents managed to access her work laptop by using her fingerprint on a MacBook Pro, they have been unable to retrieve data from the iPhone, which could contain significant information.
The search warrant executed by the FBI was part of an investigation into a contractor alleged to have leaked classified material. In addition to the iPhone, agents seized two MacBook Pros, a 1TB portable hard drive, a voice recorder, and a Garmin watch. Investigators are particularly interested in Natanson’s Signal messages, noting that she has a contact list of around 1,100 current and former government personnel.
A court filing submitted by the Justice Department outlines the details of the search and opposes a motion from the Post and Natanson seeking the return of the confiscated items. A federal magistrate judge has ordered a temporary halt on further searches of the devices until a ruling is made regarding their return. The FBI has initiated processing of the seized items to secure the information they contain.