Apple reportedly gave over information to the FBI to help identify a protester who had been accused of firebombing cop cars in Minnesota.
Apple handed over Kelly Jackson’s photos stored in his iCloud to the FBI, according to a report published Wednesday by Forbes.
New – Apple helped the FBI track down a man accused of setting fire to police cars in Seattle during the George Floyd protests.
iCloud data handed to gov included screenshots from the defendant’s iPhone, one with ingredients for a molotov cocktail.https://t.co/dKtUW4NKSW
— Thomas Brewster (@iblametom) September 16, 2020
Jackson was hit with two counts of arson and two counts of unlawful possession of a destructive device on Sept. 9 stemming from alleged actions that occurred on May 30 in downtown Seattle, federal prosecutors said.
“These individuals are hijacking legitimate First Amendment protected activity,” Special Agent in Charge FBI Seattle said. “By investigating this violent activity, the messages of peaceful protests have a better chance of being heard.” (RELATED: Man Charged After Allegedly Setting Fire To Police Cars In Front Of Supreme Court And Himself)
The FBI had discovered Jackson’s identity and used Verizon phone records to obtain his location during the protests, according to Forbes. The iCloud data turned over by Apple included a screenshot of an Instagram post that labeled the protest as “The Defiant Walk of Resistance Against Injustice” and another screenshot listing the ingredients for a Molotov cocktail, Forbes reported.
Jackson faces a mandatory minimum of five years in prison or up to 20 years in prison for the arson and up to ten years in prison for possession of a destructive device, according to federal prosecutors.