Apple Gains Support In Fighting Court Order To Unlock San Bernardino Shooter's Phone

The debate between Washington and the Silicon Valley is raging on.

On Wednesday, Apple refused to comply with a court order to unlock a terrorist's iPhone. Tech giant Google is now standing with Apple as its battle with the government unfolds. In a series of tweets Wednesday night, the company's chief executive questioned the validity of a court order, which requires Apple to unlock the iPhone of San Bernardino shooter Syed Farook.

The company says the move could set a troubling precedent. Federal investigators want to see if the phone holds any clues as to who may have helped Farook and his wife carry out the attack.

Wednesday night, several iPhone users packed into a store in San Francisco to voice their support for Apple.

"We understand that they're standing up for us, and we appreciate them standing up for us," said Cindy Cohn with the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

Apple plans to appeal as early as next week and says it's prepared to take its fight to the Supreme Court.

Former NSA contractor Edward Snowden is also backing Apple, calling the move the most important tech case in a decade.