Re/code shared the leaked draft bill in a recent article, and offers a good breakdown of exactly what the document entails. In short, it requires companies, including so-called makers of “communications” devices (i.e., Apple), as well as software messaging platforms (like WhatsApp Messenger, another of the government's newfound targets), “to turn over information in response to a judge's order.”

The bill is “mute on technical solutions,” and simply requires companies to hand over the information required. And as Re/code highlights, the bill observes: “no person or entity is above the law.” This, of course, is the kind of statement advocates against Apple made time and time again concerning the company's recent battles with the FBI over the San Bernardino case.