Tim Cook: Apple Won't Create 'Backdoor' to Help FBI Access San Bernardino Shooter's iPhone

[Khedron]

I don't agree with the idea that corporations are "people" in the first place, but since that does exist in the US, then the FBI being able to force Apple to ruin their own finances and reputation would be a legal precedent for fascism.

If this happens, the terrorists have already broken democracy, and they'll just use something else to plan their next attack so have lost nothing in return.

 

[drumcat]

It's tricky I know.
Of course, like everyone here I am all for privacy.

On the other hand, those here saying how much they support this.
If they had just had photo's sent to them of their 8 year old daughter raped, and being told she is being held until killed, I wonder how much these same people would say, YES these people should be protected by Apple.

It's a tricky one, that's easy to say when it's not you that's affected.

Would america back Apple if America was under threat.... I suspect not.

America is under threat by American Politics. The disturbing irony is that it will take a Corporation to get this fight starter.
[doublepost=1455707221][/doublepost]As for the letter... BRAVO! Just ****ing bravo. Give in on this one, and the world will know.

 

[drumcat]

Consider, on balance, how much crime this proper security is preventing... it won't be hypothetical if this changes.

 

[sk1wbw]

At least we know the FBI can't hack our iPhones.

 

[leman]

Excellent! Apple means business. Now the public needs to take a stance. Governments should't be allowed unlimited access to all customers data.

 

[apolloa]

Yes, apparently according to Apple themselves, a third party repair shop can easily hack your phone and it's encryption by replacing a dodgy finger print scanner, yet the ENTIRE US government and it's CIA and FBI and other law enforcement departments can't hack your device...

Apple really talks out of its bottom sometimes, and for the record I'm not with Apple on this one.
The price of freedom you enjoy everyday is to give up privacy for the freedom to be protected, don't like it then be prepared to lose some of that freedom.
And it's disgusting Apple is talking rubbish when vital evidence is being requested to prove someone innocent or guilty, what if the guy is innocent but gets the death sentence, who cares right when you don't know them, but that nasty government won't spy on you...
Or what if he's guilty and walks free and kills Tim Cook, what would you say then when accessing his iPhone would have produced evidence to send them to jail?

Well America if you vote Trump in I think the government spying on you is the least of your problems anyway.

 

[Jsameds]

All day every day people argue about features, who did something first, which is better, which is cheaper but very rarely people discuss one major factor that should be front and center of any debate on technology - privacy.

It is arguably the most important aspect of any connected technology, and once again I will say that this is one of the main reasons I continue to use Apple products.

 

[andreiru]

I'll take the small risk of being involved in an act of terror vs the certainty of some wanker from a secret service stalking me.

 

[leman]

In addition, I really don't want my device to become easily accessibly just because of some lunacy by USA's government. In the unfortunate case that Apple is forced to comply, I hope that the backdoor will only be incorporated into the devices sold at the USA market and not in countries which respect private ownership.

 

[iZac]

*FBI quietly shifts all employees to iOS products for increased security*

 

[Toutou]

Great, that's badass. I hope he doesn't get in an accident of some kind. You know. Accident.

 

[ILikeAllOS]

I'm with Apple all the way!
In a country where our Government has run amuck it's nice to see at least someone agrees that our Constitution and Bill of Rights still matters.

 

[aleni]

Backdoor means jailbreak on day 2 for every released new iOS. Sweet.

 

[leman]

Another funny detail: americans are usually very fond of their guns and independency and democracy and Constitution and whatnot. Talk about making military-grade weapons illegal for private ownership — a ********* starts. But talk about giving government unlimited access to all your stuff — nobody seems to care. Such hypocricy.

 

[Mildredop]

Backdoor means jailbreak on day 2 for every released new iOS. Sweet.

Is jailbreak no longer possible on ios?

 

[CmdrLaForge]

And as you should have read, Apple has cooperated with the investigation. This FBI request is going above and beyond, and is not "agreeable to the usages and principles of law." The implications for creating a back door are extremely dangerous. If you aren't able to comprehend this, then there is no helping you. If you honestly feel like your life is an open book and the government should be able to look into it whenever it wants because you have nothing to hide, well then that's because you don't even know or understand the things they could find on you. You might want to live in an Orwellian world, but the rest of us do not.

This also has nothing to do with owning guns. This is about the personal information of everyone in the whole country, and potentially the whole world, being at stake.

As far as I understood the FBI needs access to just this phone. I think Apple blew this for marketing reasons entirely out of proportion. If they (Apple) are able to access the data on that phone they should just help the FBI in a way that this is a one time only event. The FBI can deliver this phone to apple and they could have pulled the data off the phone in one of their secret labs and then hand back the phone and separately the data. No need to give the FBI a general key.

 

[mazz0]

I'm surprised this is something they can change in software, rather than being in firmware that can't be overwritten. I suspect this will change.

 

[VulchR]

If the FBI want to hack somebody's iPhone, then let them do it themselves. Why should Apple – a private company – do the work of the FBI? Can the FBI compel a company that makes safes to open them?

Sometimes we have to forego information about the guilty to protect the rights of those who are innocent. Besides, what do they expect to find on the iPhone that they don't already know? Surely with the Patriot Act violations of privacy they have everything they need. If not, why are we all foregoing our rights and funding the NSA?

 

[szw-mapple fan]

Where is the limit?
If creating a backdoor meant avoiding another 9/11, what would be the right thing to do?

I think the mania for "privacy" has gone way beyond common sense: until 10 years ago we were all happily storing our personal info in our houses, in paper, and no one was seriously worrying about someone sneaking in our houses to look at our family pictures, love letters or -oh my God!- our weight.
We too often forget that in 99.99% of the cases NO ONE COULD CARE LESS about our oh-so-precious pictures, messages, etc. There is quite simply nothing to protect, our personal info are valuable only to ourselves.
"Just" give me a common password for all my info/website, and if someones steals my device, big deal, let me make a call and block all access. End of story.

Well, you can also argue the opposite. What if terrorists got hold of this master key and stole information from personal devices that enables another 9/11 (which would be far more likely, considering the amount of data government agencies have to sift though before finding any real information on terrorists)?

 

[2457282]

No one, no entity, no government should violate the privacy of another without proper cause, justification, and authorization. We must protect privacy and when in doubt privacy should win.

I think the valid question here is what if we do have proper cause, justification and authorization? We certainly do in this case. I would be all for hacking into the phone to see if there is information that could lead to others that may be planning the same or worse.

And yet if doing so has the collateral damage of everyone's privacy on this planet now being at risk without proper cause, justification, and authorization, the question is whether that is too high a price to pay.

Tough questions to be sure, but I must side with privacy which is an institution of democracy. Otherwise we take yet another step in the slippery slope to a totalitarian society - and we have already taken so many steps.

 

[Tubamajuba]

Yes, apparently according to Apple themselves, a third party repair shop can easily hack your phone and it's encryption by replacing a dodgy finger print scanner, yet the ENTIRE US government and it's CIA and FBI and other law enforcement departments can't hack your device...

Apple really talks out of its bottom sometimes, and for the record I'm not with Apple on this one.
The price of freedom you enjoy everyday is to give up privacy for the freedom to be protected, don't like it then be prepared to lose some of that freedom.
And it's disgusting Apple is talking rubbish when vital evidence is being requested to prove someone innocent or guilty, what if the guy is innocent but gets the death sentence, who cares right when you don't know them, but that nasty government won't spy on you...
Or what if he's guilty and walks free and kills Tim Cook, what would you say then when accessing his iPhone would have produced evidence to send them to jail?

Well America if you vote Trump in I think the government spying on you is the least of your problems anyway.

Well then, let's just wait for Google or anyone else to take the same stance. I'm sure it will suddenly become a noble and principled decision...

 

[8692574]

Apple's credibility is at stake here, hope they keep up and don't concede anything to the FBI.

 

[cdmoore74]

Sorry Tim , I think you draw the wrong line. Supporting terrorism is just plain wrong. Any righteous person has nothing to hide from the government.

This is not about supporting terrorism. You're not looking at the big picture. If Apple starts building in back doors for law enforcement those same back doors can be used by bad people as well. The next time you accidentally lose your phone or God forbid you get robbed you want to be confident that the phone is a paper weight to the person that has it.
If people think that Apple is supporting terrorism than you're nothing but a imbecile.
I'm also a law abiding citizen and don't have anything on my phone that would rise red flags but I don't want to lose sleep if one day I lose my phone and it has sensitive financial information stored in it.

 

[Eidorian]

I have not been fond of Apple in recent years but this action is something I can get behind. Great work Apple.

 

[CmdrLaForge]

This is not about supporting terrorism. You're not looking at the big picture. If Apple starts building in back doors for law enforcement those same back doors can be used by bad people as well. The next time you accidentally lose your phone or God forbid you get robbed you want to be confident that the phone is a paper weight to the person that has it.
If people think that Apple is supporting terrorism than you're nothing but a imbecile.

In this case they help the terrorist and not the government so who do they support? Also no need for a generic backdoor. The FBI can deliver just this phone to Apple secret lab. They do their data magic there and hand over the phone in its original state and the data on a USB stick.