FBI lawyer refuses to say whether data extracted from San Bernardino iPhone is 'useful'

During an interview at Tuesday's International Association of Privacy Professionals conference in Washington, FBI lawyer James A. Baker said data extracted from an iPhone linked to San Bernardino terror suspect Syed Rizwan Farook is being applied to the agency's ongoing investigation, reports The New York Times. He was less forthcoming when asked if the phone contained useful information.

"We're still working on that, I guess is the answer," Baker said, adding, "It was worth the fight to make sure that we have turned over every rock that we can with respect to the investigation. We owe it to the victims and the families to make sure that we pursue every logical lead."

While the iPhone's contents may never be aired publicly, many are curious to find out if the government's bid to force Apple's assistance in breaking into the device was worth the effort. The Justice Department never claimed to know what was stored on Farook's iPhone, if anything, but federal prosecutors and other law enforcement officials used this uncertainty to their advantage.