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Apple vs. FBI is the big story no one's touching at Mobile World Congress Plenty of executives will line up to talk about the new phones, drones and VR gear introduced at this week's Mobile World Congress trade show in Barcelona. But when it comes to the biggest story in tech, no one wants to go there. In California, Apple is battling a February 16 federal court order to create a new version of its iOS mobile software that will unlock an iPhone 5C used by a terrorist in December's San Bernardino massacre. Apple says complying with the FBI's request will create a backdoor into the iPhone and set a "dangerous precedent" that exposes all its customers to security risks. Apple CEO Tim Cook and his team must respond to the order by Friday. The outcome of the battle may have ripple effects on the rest of the technology industry. Check out CNET's full coverage of Apple vs. But when asked about the standoff between Apple and the FBI, the common response of tech execs here at MWC was uncomfortable laughter followed by some variation of: "No way am I saying anything."