Apple CEO Tim Cook took the stage on Monday to open the company's spring launch press event, addressing the company's case with the FBI by vowing to protect its customers' data.

There were many things we expected Apple to discuss at the event, including the big reveal of the 4-inch iPhone SE and the latest iPad to hit shelves. But we also were wondering whether or not Apple would comment on the court controversy. It seemed like no better time for Cook to make a statement since Apple will face off against the FBI in court on Tuesday in California.

"We did not expect to be in this position, at odds with our own government, but we believe strongly we have a responsibility to help you protect your data and your privacy," Cook said. "We will not shrink from this responsibility."

Apple is currently in a legal battle with the government after the FBI gave the Cupertino-based company a court order that required that it unlock an iPhone used by the gunman Syed Rizwan Farook, who killed 14 people in San Bernardino last year.

This has sparked a debate over encryption and the safety of customer privacy. The government believes that the device could contain information about the attack, and can't gain access to the smartphone because 10 wrong password attempts would erase the data. The FBI wants Apple to develop software so it can get into the device without needing a password.

While the U.S. Justice Department wants to focus on the specific case at hand, Apple sees it as a wider problem. The company believes unlocking the device would threaten the privacy of all its iPhone users. Therefore, it is heading to court to fight the requirement to write the software, claiming that a "back door" into iPhones is "too dangerous to build."

"We need to decide as a nation how much power the government should have over our data and over our privacy," Cook also said at the event.

The case will be heard in front of a federal judge on Tuesday in the Central District of California where each side will present their arguments and witnesses. However, a verdict is not expected right away and the case could wind up going all the way to the Supreme Court.

In the meantime, Apple customers will be able to get their hands on the new iPhone SE (that is still encrypted) on March 31 with preorders starting on March 24. The 4-inch device retails at $399 for the 16 GB model and $499 for the 64 GB model, and features the same CPU and GPU speeds as the iPhone 6S.

Source: Bloomberg Business

Photo: Valery Marchive | Flickr