Apple CEO Tim Cook said Wednesday that it would be “bad for America” if his company complied with the FBI’s demand for help unlocking an encrypted iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino shooters.
Cook said he’s prepared to take the dispute to the U.S. Supreme Court. He also said he would try to make his case directly to President Barack Obama, although he did not say when or where they would meet.
In his first interview since the controversy erupted last week, Cook told ABC News that it was a difficult decision to resist a court order directing Apple to override security features on an iPhone used by Syed Farook, one of two extremists who killed 14 people in the Southern California city in December.
“Some things are hard and some things are right, and some things are both. This is one of those things,” Cook said. The interview came as both sides in the dispute are courting public support, through interviews and published statements, while also mustering legal arguments in the case.
Federal officials have said they’re only asking for narrow assistance in bypassing some security features on the iPhone, which they believe may contain information related to the mass murders. Apple has argued that doing so would make other iPhones more susceptible to hacking by authorities or criminals in the future.
The Apple chief expressed sympathy for the shooting victims’ families, and said his company provided engineers and technical advice to authorities investigating the case. But he said authorities are now asking the company “to write a piece of software that we view as sort of the equivalent of cancer.”
The software could “expose people to incredible vulnerabilities,” Cook added, arguing that smartphones contain private information about users and even their families.
“This would be bad for America,” he said. “It would also set a precedent that I believe many people in America would be offended by.”
Cook disputed FBI Director James Comey’s argument that the court order applies to only one phone.
“If a court can ask us to write this piece of software, think about what else they could ask us to write,” Cook said. “Maybe it’s an operating system for surveillance. Maybe it’s the ability for law enforcement to turn on the camera. I mean I don’t know where this stops.”
A Department of Justice spokeswoman did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Apple is expected to file its legal response to the judge’s order by Friday.
(AP)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
4 Responses
what is the problem to resolve this impasse. Apple should take the phone, give the fbi all the information in it but don’t give the fbi any software or technical info???
Apple’s has much merit. It will severely restrict the lifestyle and freedom of many people if the police are able to listen in to their private conversations. No terrorist, inside trader, human trafficker, drug dealer or politician will ever feel free to go about their business. It’s bad enough having to worry that Ha-Shem is listening in all the time, but do you want the cops listening as well???????
Maybe a little clarification is in order.
Apple, at its core, is a company that believes very strongly that what is mine, is mine, and what is yours, is yours. They bar themselves from accessing the data on their consumer’s iPhones because frankly they have no right to see it. No one besides for the person with the correct Apple ID username, password, and in some cases a fingerprint, is able to access much of the personal data that is saved on an iPhone. NOT EVEN APPLE HAS ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION
As such, since the San Bernadino killings, the FBI wants Apple to create a new version of iOS (Apple’s mobile operating system) that, when installed on an iDevice, allows the user to access all of the personal information on the device without having the proper requirements.
Apple, led by CEO Tim Cook, believes that if this version of iOS comes into existence than we are all at a security risk. If an experienced cyber hacker got their hands on this software it would be catastrophic. They would seemingly have access to the personal data of every iPhone user in the world. This is ever more frightening in today’s world, where more and more people are putting their personal information: passwords, credit card numbers, etc, on their iPhones and trusting Apple to make sure that no one can get their hands on that information.
If Apple develops this software we are all at a security risk.
Sent from my iPhone
The previous 2 commenters don’t seem to understand the issue.
1. Apple can’t just give over the information because they don’t have it. If they were to build software that could get the information than all of their customers would be in danger of getting hacked.
2. We are not talking about people listening to your private conversations. The government is already able to do that without hacking into your phone. We are talking about the personal information that is sitting, encrypted, on your phone.