Apple Vs. the FBI

A federal judge ordered Apple to help the FBI by decrypting the iPhone of the San Bernardino shooter. Apple responded with an open letter to their customers as well as the FBI saying that they would not decrypt the iPhone.

On the surface of this debate, it seemed pretty reasonable; the FBI just needs to get some info off the phone to better investigate the case. But what the FBI is asking Apple to do is to build in a backdoor in iOS. The FBI wants a new version of iOS that would avoid certain security features that were installed on the iPhone that was recovered for the investigation. But in the wrong hands, this software (which currently does not exist,) could unlock any iPhone.

This isn’t the first time Apple is on the forefront of privacy. Back in 2014, Apple decide to remove itself from accessing encrypted devices. That means if you forget your password to your iPhone, Apple can’t decrypt it even though you own the device. I’m all for Apple respecting users’ privacy unlike Microsoft and Google, both of which are known for collecting data on their users. The Justice Department said that their open letter was just a “marketing stunt.” If either the FBI or the Justice Department are unhappy with the result, this case can go up as far to the Supreme Court – which can take several years to get to. Both sides of this argument have have garnered support and criticism. Famous NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden stated on Twitter that, “The FBI is creating a world where citizens rely on Apple to defend their rights, rather than the other way around.” On the opposing side, presidential candidate Donald Trump called for a boycott of Apple products. However, I don’t think Donald Trump understands the larger issue at hand. Remember this is the man that wanted to “close up” the internet.