Should Apple help the feds?

I'm a bit torn on this one myself. On the one hand, I think privacy is paramount to free expression, free thought, etc. And the non-linear explosion of the internet of things is going to make the fight for keeping your information private harder and harder as each year passes.

However, in a specific case where there may be information on that phone that could connect some dots or provide additional evidence that may help indict co-conspirators, I think Apple should help out.

In the end, I fear that Apple's refusal to comply will cause the gov't to simply pass a law that will force them to. And the unintended consequence of this will open the door to more surveillance, or more nefarious outcomes because the law won't just apply to Apple, it'll apply much more broadly.

In fact, I'm really surprised there isn't already some law that can be used to make them legally comply.

What do you WW'ers think about this one?

As soon as I read this "story" I thought it was bogus.

It's a big PR ploy about how they're gonna fight for your rights but I bet secretly they have already handed over the data. I guess there is a little bit of a grey area in that the perp has not been convicted of a crime but he's dead so perhaps his rights died with him - I'm not a lawyer so I don't know how that works.

My data is my data and I don't want anyone getting access to it but on the flip side I'm not shooting up Christmas parties so I shouldn't have to worry about big brother getting into my phone. IMO it's just like the Internet in general - if you don't want your activities scrutinized then don't do them online.

The cops (and really anybody) can get access to your phone records pretty easily so they don't need access to the phone for that - they're likely just looking for any text messages or files that may be there which they could probably get through other means anyway.

Is really about just unlocking this phone, or having the ability to unlock any iPhone anytime?

This specific case, is about unlocking this specific phone (w/o erasing its contents which happens on too many failed pwd attempts). But they'll end up setting precedence for unlocking any phone at any time.
This fits in w/ODNI director Clapper's assertion that our nation's spy agencies are "going dark" on their ability to do their job due to encryption technologies on mobile devices. But generally, the public is split on whether they should have more or less access to our data for our "security". In a post-Snowden world, some lawmakers are coming around to supporting more privacy not less. But there are still LOTS of them on the other side of this issue. This particular case may very well be their wedge issue that allows them to get enough support to do exactly what you're suggesting, unlock any iphone at any time.... including remotely via backdoor tools. which of course will immediately fall into the hands of hacker crooks too.

Apple has done is 70 times before. If its based on principle, that argument is invalid. http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nati...icle-1.2536178

lets be honest, do you think the government having access to this data will change anything in this case? They already messed up, they couldn't do there job and stop these people they knew where radicals. The man left the country and returned with a "wife" that attended a school that turns out terrorists.

This is actually a case of government trying to force a private entity to create something. Currently, apple does not have the ability to unlock the phone. If they had the "product" to unlock it then I would say they should do so given that san bernadino county owns the phone and has said it's ok with them, and if there is a warrant. However, apple does not have the capability to unlock it without creating a product at the direction of government.

according to this,http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/us-...beA?li=BBnb7Kz , they want to unlock one phone, not put out a new program so they can access everyone's phone. Apple should comply. These people are terrorists. If it does take new tech to do it(which I doubt they don't already have) as long as warrants are signed it shouldn't matter.

Trump said today to boycott apple
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/...hooter-n522031
Apple stock hasn't moved down much, maybe if Trump was president, it would drop more?

Originally Posted by psudy

according to this,http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/us-...beA?li=BBnb7Kz , they want to unlock one phone, not put out a new program so they can access everyone's phone. Apple should comply. These people are terrorists. If it does take new tech to do it(which I doubt they don't already have) as long as warrants are signed it shouldn't matter.

Apple's iOS software no longer allows the old style of accessing data inside iPhones (they'd plug special cord in to bypass security measures). On the new ones, they'd have to write a new software to disable the safety feature that wipes the phone after 10 attempts. So yes, the feds want the software in order to get into one phone right now, but they could then apply it to any phone they wanted in the future.

Originally Posted by joeshmoe

Trump said today to boycott apple
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/...hooter-n522031
Apple stock hasn't moved down much, maybe if Trump was president, it would drop more?

And then he sends a tweet from his iphone. So yeah.

IMO, Apple will lose more customers from unlocking the phone than they will from some clown like Trump advocating a boycott. Of course, with a Trump presidency, he would waterboard Tim Cook until he agree to unlock the Iphone.