The Federal Bureau of Investigation said it wanted to access Syed Rizwan Farook's locked iPhone 5c to look into possible links to the Islamic State group, but phonemaker Apple refused to help, citing privacy concerns.
Gannett -- USA Today's parent company -- the Associated Press and Vice Media are suing to obtain details of the mysterious hack that rekindled a national debate on communications encryption and privacy protection.
The federal law enforcement agency took Apple to court in February to compel them to help, but dropped the suit weeks later after hacking the phone with third-party help.
The FBI has yet to name the outside party or the cost involved.
"Understanding the amount that the FBI deemed appropriate to spend on the tool, as well as the identity and reputation of the vendor it did business with, is essential for the public to provide effective oversight of government," reads the lawsuit, filed in the US capital Washington.
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