If a key is stored on your phone, it can be obtained the same way any other data is obtained. If the key is password protected, a key logger would yield the password.

Edit: I forgot to check to whom I replied; "lern_to_spel" shows up on all of the Snowden threads.

The key is not stored in the clear, and the device password is entered before a keylogger can run. https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2014/10/even-golden-key-can-be...

It's called "key escrow" and there are tons of ways to do it.

Look up US patents under 380/286 classification.

I know what key escrow is. Nitrogen didn't claim that Apple does that, and for good reason -- there is absolutely zero evidence that they do.

The keys aren't stored on the phone - that's what's caused all of the recent controversy. A warrant to install a keylogger isn't very useful after the suspect has been taken into custody.

I watched the interview and when he said that, I assumed that he meant something like "getting the device when the subject was using it", giving them access to everything. But your reaction makes me wonder if I was mistaken.

... and he advocates ditching Dropbox in favor of a closed source, proprietary encrypted file storage service...

... and he tells you not to use Google, but gives every one of his remote appearances through Google Hangouts...

Hypocrisy doesn't invalidate an opinion automatically.