The fierce national debate over encryption was a recurring theme.during the SXSW Interactive festival. The discussion has heated up in the past few months, obviously, thanks to the dispute between Apple Inc. and the U.S. Justice Department over whether Apple should help the FBI unlock the iPhone of one of the shooters in the San Bernardino, Calif., terrorist attacks.

The issue made for a heated panel discussion during SXSW Interactive. American-Statesman reporter Jazmine Ulloa has a full wrapup on the panel, and on the wider points of the debate.

About the Author

Keep Reading

The main gate of Fort Stewart in Hinesville, Georgia where a soldier shot and injured four soldiers and a former service member on Aug. 6, 2025. (Hyosub Shin/AJC)

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC

Featured

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis testifies before a state Senate committee at the Capitol in Atlanta on Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC