Bill Gates Says Apple Should Unlock San Bernardino Shooter's iPhone for FBI [Updated]

[gnasher729]

Apple will have to come to some accommodation with the FBI. Bill Gates knows this and so does Tim Cook. The government holds all the cards.

Yes. The best accommodation will be "you do it yourself".

FBI is not the government. FBI is one branch of the government. As the former chief of NSA and CIA, Michael Hayden, has said: "If I were in the FBI's shoes, I'd ask for the phone to be unlocked. But overall, this will weaken national security".

 

[decafjava]

Bill, thanks for all your good work supporting charity around the world. But you're wrong here. That's all.

 

[Larry-K]

I liked the FBI better when it was run by a guy in a dress, and I didn't care for it much back then.

 

[Alenore]

Pretty interesting opinion from a guy who's company sells the OS that leaks the most data in the history of computing.

You mean the OS the most used in the history of computing is also the one leaking the most data? WOW!
[doublepost=1456220397][/doublepost]

You should already not trust Microsoft software. They have a long history of rolling over for governments. They signed on early with PRISM (2007), and put a backdoor into Skype to allow collection of chats and to tap into video streams, as well as decrypting and handing over data for the SkyDrive (aka OneDrive) cloud platform.

Just like Apple agreed with govenrments to provide datas, backup and logs when requested, except in this case.

 

[diddl14]

By just calling it "information" and than claiming something around specific types of information (bank account, phone records), he's really missing the point. My phone is meanwhile key to ALL my information, not just my bank account or my phone record. That goes way beyond current government privileges..

 

[soupcan]

Well mister Gates, to refresh your mind: Apple can't do jack ****. The FBI was moronic enough to change the password less than a day after it came in their possession, and Apple doesn't have a decryption key for the now encrypted device. Creating a backdoor for this specific case is also not an option, because well, just look it up yourself. Hundreds of possessed iPhones are waiting to be unlocked, which would just spell the end of encryption as a whole. You seem to forget it's not just the US that has iPhones, the entire ****ing world has them.

 

[Michaelgtrusa]

Wonderful idea. Let's do it.

 

[Jess13]

Hilarious, considering Microsoft was the first company to participate in PRISM and helps the government to break Microsoft encryption. Steve at least fought the government, with Apple participating in PRISM a full year after Steve’s death. With the FBI, Tim Cook seems to be at least trying to emulate Steve. Bill Gates’ opinion doesn’t mean anything.

Microsoft handed the NSA access to encrypted messages

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jul/11/microsoft-nsa-collaboration-user-data

Outlook.com encryption unlocked even before official launch​

NSA Prism program taps in to user data of Apple, Google and others

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jun/06/us-tech-giants-nsa-data

Steve Jobs on Apple and privacy

​

 

[Piggie]

I still feel the problem here is the nasty side is too distant to those making bold statements.
I agree with privacy, I just know how many here would change their tune if it was closer to home.

 

[dragje]

Bill Gates is wrong in this case. Godthanks Microsoft support Apple in this, Gates speaks on personal level, not in name of Microsoft.

 

[AnthonyHarris]

Interviewer: "Go home Bill, you're drunk."
[doublepost=1456222788][/doublepost]

Just goes to show what we should have known all along--being successful at a business, regardless of how much money you make, does not make you moral nor does it make you wise.

Hard-nosed business men like this are ruthless and have no care in the world for anything other than their rising bank balances.

Apple are the same when all is said and done, but at least they give us hardware and software that lasts and CAN stand up to the tests of time and the FBI.

 

[johngordon]

Gates says it is a one off request - but I thought the whole point of contention was that they were asking Apple to build a back door into iOS, and so make everyone's phone hackable?

Ignoring the fact that cars are physical objects, it seems a bit like asking BMW to add a secret button underneath a car to open the doors if you have lost the key. Great in an emergency but does kid of make it easier to break into or steal.

 

[R1PPER]

Yep...if you've got nothing to hide then the Police & FBI should be able to use this data in a Murder investigation. Anyone that says otherwise is being stubborn and ridiculous. these people are better off the streets.

 

[iGeek2014]

People like Bill Gates are entitled to express their own opinion.

I, like many others, have nothing to hide. The majority of us are law-abiding citizens.

In the quest to monitor terrorism to protect the interests and safety of the ordinary person on the street I fully understand why the FBI want Apple to allow access to the device in the above case.

However.... You do it once and you will find others want a piece of the meat too.

 

[fortheus]

If the goal is just the location info and who is the other contact, they can use other means to get it just like mentioned in this article

http://viralbuzz.click/2016/02/20/apple-vs-fbi-should-you-trade-off-privacy-in-the-name-of-security/

It feels like the issue has been diverted from getting necessary data to setting up an easy access for government to monitor the citizen

 

[Makosuke]

Given that, when the Chinese government hacked the Hotmail accounts of thousands of users Microsoft didn't notice for two years and then when it did find out it decided not to tell them what had happened until four years later, and even then only when a newspaper reported on it... I think I'll just choose to politely completely ignore Gates.

But hey, at least he's been completely consistent about this. His company, when he was chairman of the board, clearly thinks that government hacking is just one of those things that happen and isn't really an issue worth making noise about.

 

[Jess13]

Yep...if you've got nothing to hide then the Police & FBI should be able to use this data in a Murder investigation. Anyone that says otherwise is being stubborn and ridiculous. these people are better off the streets.

The ‘nothing to hide’ trope.

Go to your local PD and give them:

Your online account names and passwords, all of them;
Printed copies of all your text messages sent and received;
Printed copies of all your email messages sent and received;
Physically hand them your phone and let them copy anything.

Film yourself doing this; create a YouTube account to prove it.​

Put up or shut up.

 

[sirdir]

Yeah, talk to Bill Gates about IT security.

 

[Peace]

You guys do know they are asking to open 12 phones not one right ?

 

[ToroidalZeus]

I honestly don't understand the whole "master key" reasoning. It's not even possible to downgrade iOS to the latest N-1 firmware. Why would a customized iOS firmware without the auto-erase function that only works on one phone suddenly be capable of hacking every phone in the world? Why would Apple's firmware signing policy suddenly be of no effect? I understand the debate, but I think Apple can comply to the court order without giving up encryption on every iPhone. They can easily technically comply to the FBI without giving up on encryption.
[doublepost=1456215573][/doublepost]
I understand the consequences of a master key, I just don't agree that Apple is creating a master key here.

The real heart of this case is that the FBI is asking Apple to develop counter security software designed specifically to allow the FBI to hack the iPhone.

The reason "a customized iOS firmware without the auto-erase function that only works on one phone suddenly be capable of hacking every phone in the world" is because those one-time use security checks could be removed. By whom? Well by whomever at Apple handles or develops the software or by the FBI if Apple hands it over.

There are 2 other issues.

First if the USA is allowed this kind of access then it sets a precedent for other countries such as China or Russia to demand similar (or greater) access. You might be comfortable with the FBI having this software but what about the Chinese govt?

The other issue is that it sets a precedent that a US company needs to develop counter security software at the request of the govt. I don't what to use the slippery-slope argument but Apple would have to develop counter security measures (i.e. master key) for all future software.

 

[gixxerfool]

My question was why this reasoning was valid. You're repeating the reasoning people have said before, but I don't really understand the reasoning.

In all honesty, I appreciate your effort in trying to explain to me why Apple is creating a master key, but in this case I don't think it helps to create an abstract discussion. I'm well aware of how the encryption in the iPhone technically works.
[doublepost=1456218482][/doublepost]Yes. I follow you.
Whoah, this escalated quickly. First, the FBI doesn't want a special customized software version. They want a phone that is flashed with the special customized software version. That's a whole different story. As far as I know, it's not possible to extract IPSW files from phones. Apple doesn't have to release the special firmware. They can also prevent it from being used by simply not signing the firmware. As I said, it's not even possible to downgrade to an iOS firmware version of choice (of which IPSW files are publicly available). Why would it be possible to flash a custom iOS firmware version that is only available inside Apple and is not being signed by Apple? How would that be possible? Apple has full control.


I can see the slippery slope in this case, but at this point the discussion is not so much anymore about encryption, but more about corrupt police officers. Also, if somehow the whole world got access to this special firmware and if somehow the whole world can actually flash it into a phone, and if somehow the password entry delay built in to the secure enclave (which the 5c doesn't have, but the 5s and up do have) was disabled (that's a lot of "if's"), then still a simple six-charachter alphanumeric password would make all of these efforts useless and make the phone unbreakable.

I think the danger of which Apple / Tim Cook speaks is greatly exaggerated.

Someone else posted this link. It makes some really valid points as to why it's not just one device.

http://www.zdziarski.com/blog/?p=5645

 

[soupcan]

You guys do know they are asking to open 12 phones not one right ?

12? Even more than that. Like 10x more. Or even more than that.

Straight from Apple's own Q&A page:

Law enforcement agents around the country have already said they have hundreds of iPhones they want Apple to unlock if the FBI wins this case. In the physical world, it would be the equivalent of a master key, capable of opening hundreds of millions of locks. Of course, Apple would do our best to protect that key, but in a world where all of our data is under constant threat, it would be relentlessly attacked by hackers and cybercriminals. As recent attacks on the IRS systems and countless other data breaches have shown, no one is immune to cyberattacks.


So yeah, it's not just one or 12.

 

[whsbuss]

Ahh the old "just this one iPhone" argument

http://9to5mac.com/2016/02/22/apple-department-of-justice-fbi-bill-gates/

 

[iapplelove]

The Feds already know what's on the phone. They just want a back door created. And Apple isn't falling for it.

 

[StoneJack]

Well, Gates created so many backdoors, hackable doors, open doors and simply holes with his Windows, that he is certainly speaks from his experience..