Feds To Apple: If We Can't Read iMessages, A Child Will Die

The Department of Justice told Apple executives that a child would die as a result of the company's new iMessage encryption, reports the Wall Street Journal.

iMessages come encrypted on your iPhone in iOS 8. That means that without the passcode to your phone, law enforcement can't access your text messages, even with a court-ordered warrant.

Apple's move to encrypt iMessages comes after a summer of privacy complaints that peaked with the iCloud hacking scandal which exposed nude celebrity photos.

In September Apple CEO Tim Cook published a letter outlining Apple's new privacy policy.

"We don't read your email or your messages to get information to market to you," said Cook.

Apple was reportedly offended by the DOJ's nightmare scenario. The meeting was unproductive for both parties.

Cook also spoke specifically to Apple's policy on government data requests in his letter.

"Finally, I want to be absolutely clear that we have never worked with any government agency from any country to create a backdoor in any of our products or services," said Cook. "We have also never allowed access to our servers. And we never will."