FBI unlocks gunman’s phone without Apple’s aid

The legal fight pitting the US administration against tech giant Apple has ended unexpectedly after the FBI said it hacked into a mass shooter’s iPhone without help.

Questions remain about how privacy will be affected in the future, and what will happen the next time the US government is frustrated by digital security lockout features.

Government prosecutors have asked a federal judge to vacate a disputed order forcing Apple to help the FBI break into the iPhone, saying it was no longer necessary.