Analyzing Apple vs FBI

Apple vs. FBI

What is this controversy about?

A federal court judge approached Apple, in the month of February, to seek assistance for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, in unlocking an iPhone that was seized from Syed Farook, the man charged with committing the San Bernardino shootings in December that claimed fourteen lives. Apple was asked to offer reasonable technical aid to American authorities; this would entail overhauling of the system by which phones get disabled after ten wrong passwords are keyed in. As soon as this system gets activated, phone data cannot be accessed at all. Apple refused to aid the FBI. Apple's CEO, Tim Cook, claimed the order was 'chilling', stating that they would have to write new software, which had to be the master key that could unlock several million locks. Cook argued that even if one phone became accessible to the FBI, there was no telling how many others they could gain access to. Law enforcement officials asserted it would never be repeated. Consequently, the case was taken to court.

Why is Apple Opposing the Court Order?

Technology companies have replied that encryption forms the key to protection of information, stored on cellphones and other devices, from hackers. Information privacy remains a sensitive issue, especially after revelations regarding the range of governmental surveillance actions. The one thing Apple wishes to avoid above all is to establish a trend that enabled law enforcement agencies to coerce technological firms to destabilize their security. By resisting the FBI's insistence on forcing Apple's engineers to script software capable of circumventing Farook's passcode, Cook framed Apple as assuming a principled stance in a fight for user privacy in today's digital age. The company strove to maintain its principles, conveying the message that customer security was its top priority.

What is the FBI's position?

According to law enforcement organizations, the encryption employed by Apple and other tech firms makes solving cases and stopping terrorist attacks more difficult. The U.S. government has expressed its frustration with the new security features on iPhones, which render it almost impossible for Apple, FBI or anybody else (save for the cellphone's owner) to access the phone. Federal agents are now requesting a Californian federal judge to coerce Apple into writing special software for overriding their encryption features so as to be able to look at data on the iPhone of a terrorist involved in the San Bernardino shootings. For forcing the company to comply, the Bureau cited the "All Writs Act" of 1789.

Personal Opinion on this Controversy