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Google CEO Calls FBI's Request for Apple Backdoor 'A Troubling Precedent'

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This morning, Apple CEO Tim Cook published an open letter declaring the company's intention to oppose an order from a U.S. federal judge that would require Apple to give the FBI the tools to bypass the passcode on an iPhone owned by San Bernardino shooter Syed Farook.

Since then, dozens of government officials, members of the media, and tech company leaders have weighed in on the issue, including Sundar Pichai, Google's CEO. In a series of tweets shared this afternoon, Pichai seemingly sided with Apple, saying the FBI's request to enable a backdoor "could compromise users' privacy."

He went on to say that while Google understands the challenges law enforcement faces and supports providing access to data based on valid legal orders, that's "wholly different" than ordering companies to "enable hacking of customer devices & data," something he says "could be a troubling precedent."

4/5 But that's wholly different than requiring companies to enable hacking of customer devices & data. Could be a troubling precedent - sundarpichai (@sundarpichai) February 17, 2016
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As the company behind Android, the other major operating system widely used by smartphone owners, Google's opinion on the issue carries some weight. People have been waiting to see what stance Google would take and whether the company would back Apple. Other tech company CEOs, including those from Twitter and Facebook, have yet to share an opinion, but WhatsApp CEO and founder Jan Koum wrote a strong statement supporting Apple this morning. "We must not allow this dangerous precedent to be set," he penned. "Today our freedom and our liberty is at stake.

At issue is a U.S. federal judge's order requiring Apple to build a new version of iOS that would disable certain passcode security features on the iPhone in question.

The FBI wants Apple to eliminate the auto-erase function that wipes an iPhone if the wrong passcode is entered too many times, it wants the delay between wrong passcode inputs removed, and it wants the ability to electronically input a passcode. With the passcode disabling features, the FBI would have the tools to potentially gain brute force access to the shooter's locked iPhone.

In his open letter, Tim Cook said Apple believes the government's intentions "are good," but such a tool is "too dangerous to create." Such software, "in the wrong hands" could "have the potential to unlock any iPhone in someone's physical possession."
The FBI may use different words to describe this tool, but make no mistake: Building a version of iOS that bypasses security in this way would undeniably create a backdoor. And while the government may argue that its use would be limited to this case, there is no way to guarantee such control.
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Under Tim Cook's reign, Apple has taken an unbendable stance on privacy and has urged the United States government to make a stand and support "no backdoors" in encryption. He has repeatedly stated that creating a backdoor for law enforcement also creates a backdoor for "bad guys."

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Article Link: Google CEO Calls FBI's Request for Apple Backdoor 'A Troubling Precedent'
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2016/02/17/google-ceo-apple-backdoor-troubling-precedent/
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DTphonehome

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This is a critical juncture. If Apple yields on this, then there is no telling how far governments (of the United States, or other, more nefarious, governments) will embed themselves into their citizens' electronic lives. We may trust the government's intention this time, but who knows how a future government will use this tool?
 
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geniusj

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Well, this isn't quite as bad as it looked when I first saw the headlines. Basically, they want the ability to brute force the passcode. I'm actually surprised that they haven't figured out a way to be able to brute force it already. This seems like a pretty inefficient way to do it too. They'll be bounded by the speed of the phone. You'd think they'd try and get the data itself off of the phone and attempt the brute force using their own systems. It's just an AES block cipher, isn't it?

Either way, if your password is good enough, even this special build of iOS probably wouldn't matter all that much.
 
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Yojimbo007

Yojimbo007

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Jun 13, 2012
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Ohhhh. Common... Judt shut up...
Google me too BS.
Hypocrisy galore.

Including Snowden .
Break the law, intrude, steal, reveal , invade all without autorization if it suits him...
But others should not do it..

And im not even talking about the right and/or wrong of the encryption issue .. Its not as easy as yes or no.
Im taking about obnoxious hypocrisy .
 
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MacCubed

MacCubed

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As I said in another thread, what if the government forces Apple to implement a backdoor? Will it be hardware based or software based? If it is hardware based, the perpetrators won't buy the newest iPhone, and stick to an older model, where as the software backdoor would require an update. The perpetrators would probably be smarter than that to update, and stay on an older version of iOS. Then the government would ask Apple to force newer software onto devices. And that would piss a lot of people off.... Even with a backdoor implemented, it would affect other users in different countries besides the US, making others vulnerable to hacking. This should be looked into depth at an international level, not just concerning the US, because millions of other people's privacy is at stake here.

There is always going to be work arounds, to the locks, and I am glad the tech companies are sticking up for the general consumers rights, not just the small percent of those who are committing these atrocities. It will be interesting what Microsoft does about this.

Also we can't forget about the numerous android phone manufacturers, that exist in many countries and aren't controlled by the US government
 
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groovyd

groovyd

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Kaibelf said:
And why is trump also saying it? And several of the others running so far?
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because they are all running for the biggest power trip position in the world and they all want unquestioned access to the minion's private stuff so they can keep us under them once they win. the whole of government is full of narcissists like this. for them to have access to everyone's information has always been a wet dream of theirs.
 
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