WASHINGTON, March 10 (Reuters) - Apple accused the U.S. Justice Department on Thursday of trying to "smear" the company by trafficking in "desperate" and "unsubstantiated" claims in its ongoing quest to force the company to help unlock an encrypted iPhone linked to one of the San Bernardino, California shooters.
"The tone of the brief reads like an indictment," Apple General Counsel Bruce Sewell told reporters on a press call, referring to a response filing the Justice Department submitted earlier on Thursday that accused Apple of making "false" statements.
The new filing relies on thinly sourced news reports to inaccurately suggest that Apple had colluded with the Chinese government to undermine buyers' security, Sewell said.
(Reporting by Dustin Volz and Joseph Menn)