What's the thoughts on the Apple vs Government phone battle?

Intercooler · February 27 2016 05:30:23 AM MST

I didn't see a topic here on it. Should Apple be able to keep the Government at bay over the terrorist cell phones?

Geeman · February 27 2016 05:42:42 AM MST

I believe the government cares less about what's on that phone than they do about what's on EVERY i-phone.

Snowden proved they go much farther than they should, the Patriot Act allows them to go farther than they should, and with the data storage, logic programs, and powerful statistical math they certainly have the ability to know more about you than you do.

No back door is a good thing IMHO. Armed people would have helped shorten the terror for that phone's owner.

Greg

tommac919 · February 27 2016 06:37:31 AM MST

I oppose the fact the Govt is trying to FORCE apple to make/do something they don't have... It's right up there with being forced to buy health care and then penalized if you don't.

All i can say Broccoli !

sqlbullet · February 27 2016 08:19:49 AM MST

This is a bad deal. Apple and Mr Cook are right to refuse.

Rojo27 · February 27 2016 08:51:33 AM MST

If terrorist group in question were hard right wing, evangelicals shooting up and bombing abortion clinics; Apple woulda had that phone splayed open in 5 minutes. The MS media woulda flipped and every single news organization would have been broadcasting from Apple parking lot in Mountainview similar to the OJ trial until phone data released to general public.

Musta missed the Consitutional and Bill Of Rights provision granting individuals and corporations the "right" to transmit unbreakable encrypted data over PUBLIC radio waves.

Buckeye 50 · February 27 2016 09:15:54 AM MST

Since when does Obama give a shit about terrorism???

There's your answer - like Geeman said.

A vote FOR Apple.

Pat

DM1906 · February 27 2016 09:38:44 AM MST

The FBI, as well as many (if not all) 3+letter agencies are doing what they do. Exercising arrogant supremacy. The problem with the Patriot Act, and other laws granting broad authority by elected officials and their agents, is not the law itself. It is the extremist interpretation. This is why The Constitution and Bill of Rights were written in such simplicity. And they are still abused via extremist interpretation. This is done by elected officials, who happen to be lawyers, doing what lawyers do.

This topic is very popular among my circle of law enforcement friends. We all agree, that the solution would have been simple, but it may be too late now. The problem isn't that the search warrant and court order is demanding Apple to hand over phone data or hack a phone so the data can be retrieved by the FBI, but they are demanding that Apple produce something they do not currently possess or make available. THIS is the issue, and is not lawful, nor Constitutional. First, we should not be discussing this at all, and it should have never been a matter for the media to broadcast (just like interrogation techniques and other national security matters). All the FBI had to do, is go to Apple, and ASK them to assist with accessing the phone data. A search warrant, in this case, isn't even required (it is a government-owned and issued device, which assures no privacy or possession rights to the issuee). A little hat-in-hand "please" wouldn't hurt, either. The government agencies, in their arrogant supremacy, will not settle for "assistance", but instead demand to possess the means. This will be the extremist interpretation, ultimately. As said before, although there is a justifiable and easily understandable necessity to access the data on that one phone, they are demanding a means to access any phone or device that may be in their possession, and they have stated as much. The FBI knew this happen, and in their arrogance, fully believed they could use the court to bully Apple into an unConstitutional act.

larryh1108 · February 28 2016 06:57:37 AM MST

I'm going to look at this a little differently. It is my opinion formed by being on this earth, in this country for 60+ years.

Do I like or appreciate the tactics used by the alphabet agencies to intimidate the common man? No
Do I like having secret files of data collected by these agencies to be kept on me and you? No
Do I like the laws and other actions that take away our rights established well over 200 years ago? No
Do I like the lies spewed by government, especially the CEO, to keep us uninformed and at bay to further their agendas? No

Do I like the fact that we are the best nation on this earth with the best freedoms and rights? Yes
Does this come at a price? Yes

Do I want the .gov to have the ability to hack any phone, computer or media device to see what's on there? No
Do I want the .gov to be able to go to an Apple and ask them to retrieve info from the device of a person who was killed during an act of terror against the people of this country? Yes. Our safety trumps the rights of any person or people who try to harm our nation or it's people.

So, in short, I think Apple should take the phone, open it up, download all the files and give them to the authorities to do what needs to be done to protect us. However, I do not want the .gov to find out how they did it so they can decide to do it whenever it fits their mood. Apple should get the info and destroy the phone so it cannpt be reverse engineered to find out how it was done.

We are in an age where technology is present and can be used to do great harm to the people of this country and the world. I do not feel this info should be used for a fishing expedition but in a case like this, the information belongs to the citizens of this country.

Intercooler · February 28 2016 07:04:09 AM MST

My mindset is if you give them an inch... I would rather not!

tommac919 · February 28 2016 08:41:17 AM MST

Last I heard there were 10x that amount from different agencies ( 70 something )

sqlbullet · February 28 2016 08:55:50 PM MST

Quote from: larryh1108 on February 28 2016 06:57:37 AM MST
Do I want the .gov to be able to go to an Apple and ask them to retrieve info from the device of a person who was killed during an act of terror against the people of this country? Yes. Our safety trumps the rights of any person or people who try to harm our nation or it's people.

So, in short, I think Apple should take the phone, open it up, download all the files and give them to the authorities to do what needs to be done to protect us. However, I do not want the .gov to find out how they did it so they can decide to do it whenever it fits their mood. Apple should get the info and destroy the phone so it cannpt be reverse engineered to find out how it was done.

You can't un-create. Once Apple has done this once, the effort is complete, and sharing the fruits of the effort is as trivial as sending a file.

And, once leaked, who knows what is inside this pandora's box. It may well be that an enterprising techie will figure out how to decrypt and deliver the contents of your phone over the air.

Also, keep in mind that his is happening because the Government didn't ask Apple first, and has now gotten into a mess trying to hack the phone themselves. If they had just asked before trying a bunch of hacker gargabe, Apple could have easily created access to the phone.

gandog56 · February 29 2016 07:13:12 AM MST

General principal, keep the government out. But since I do not have an IPhone it is hard for me to really care about it at all.

sqlbullet · February 29 2016 05:17:21 PM MST

I don't have an iPhone either. I prefer Android, usually pure android from Google.

But, this case is going to have huge ramifications in regards to personal privacy across all spectrums of electronic data.

Buckeye 50 · February 29 2016 05:56:38 PM MST

Guys;

This is ALL about rights and legal precedent. If you think Apple CAN'T get into that phone at-will no you don't understand technology. It is ALL the other stuff afterward................ opens the gates of hell, AGAIN, for our muslim Pres.

Pat

Wolfie · February 29 2016 06:43:41 PM MST

Apple can print out what is in the phone and give it to the government.