Apple CEO Tim Cook: "We believe the contents of your iPhone are none of our business.."
The United States government has demanded that Apple take an unprecedented step which threatens the security of our customers. We oppose this order, which has implications far beyond the legal case at hand. - Tim Cook
By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla
Apple is now involved in a huge dispute with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) over that agency's requests to build a backdoor on the iPhone. The imbroglio is rooted in the FBI's request that Apple unlock an iPhone used in a San Bernandino shooting-related court case. While Apple has often helped the FBI in legally providing data that they have, the company is worried that creating a backdoor on the iPhone's OS sets a dangerous precedent.
Cook's public letter states the following.
"The FBI wants us to make a new version of the iPhone operating system, circumventing several important security features, and install it on an iPhone recovered during the investigation. In the wrong hands, this software — which does not exist today — would have the potential to unlock any iPhone in someone’s physical possession.
The FBI may use different words to describe this tool, but make no mistake: Building a version of iOS that bypasses security in this way would undeniably create a backdoor. And while the government may argue that its use would be limited to this case, there is no way to guarantee such control."
Apple's famously closed ecosystem has made the iPhone and the iPad very difficult devices to hack, infect and root. While this limits the device's customization capabilities, it safely seals off trojans, viruses and bugs that could otherwhise compromise user data and information. This becomes even more crucial for Apple's customers now that their devices are extensions of their lives with apps that serve as mobile payment instruments, access to various online accounts and services.
Cook's letter doesn't mince words or hide the truth behind any jargon. "The government is asking Apple to hack our own users and undermine decades of security advancements that protect our customers — including tens of millions of American citizens — from sophisticated hackers and cybercriminals. The same engineers who built strong encryption into the iPhone to protect our users would, ironically, be ordered to weaken those protections and make our users less safe." Apple's stand on the side of privacy will no doubt be lauded by its users and will hopefully inspire other technology companies to put their customer's valuable data ahead of requests for backdoors or encryption keys which, if they fall into the wrong hands, could result in catastrophic data leaks, identity theft and theft.
Smaller companies or corporations might be cowed into turning over the information and handing over the keys to their customer's devices but Apple, as the most valuable company in the world and one with 1 billion installed live devices can use its resources and clout to bring this issue to light.