If Apple had any common sense, they would just succumb to the FBI’s demands and unlock the San Bernardino terrorist iPhone, claims the all-wise and powerful Donald Trump. However, in his bold letter refusing to comply with a court order to create a backdoor to iOS, Apple CEO Tim Cook argues that doing so would set a dangerous precedence and leave customers vulnerable to hackers.
This is the biggest challenge Apple’s ever faced when it comes to iPhone security. The company has made iOS devices impossible for even it to hack, but that could be coming to an end if the federal government has its way.
So, who’s right?
Vote in our poll below and share your thoughts in the comments:
Should Apple unlock the San Bernardino terrorist's iPhone 5c? https://t.co/PTl19muwP5
— Cult of Mac (@cultofmac) February 17, 2016
Buster Hein is a freelance writer who lives in Phoenix, Arizona. Twitter: @bst3r.
19 responses to “Poll: Should Apple create an iPhone backdoor for FBI?”
No
If this were to be made, how long before it gets leaked and shared across the internet, rendering iPhone security useless and making iOS devices more desirable for theft?
Less than the time it takes to type this message. As a matter of fact…I would imagine some are already half way there…without Apple’s help.
No
Exploits in security knows no friend nor foe. Once the platform is open, it can be exploited by terrorists groups and unfriendly countries alike. If the argument is that by doing so, we can go after the bad guys and protect the good guys, the argument fails if we consider the opposite happening. Look at the servers and e-mail accounts of our most sensitive government agencies and highest officials that have been hacked. One would think that these accounts would be secure and used by people with better than average information security practices. The government makes a very narrow argument about protecting the public and fails to consider how the public and government agencies would be exposed. Given that the Windows platform is the predominant operating system, would the government be as aggressive with Microsoft to create a backdoor for security purposes? My Apple fanboy reply would be, “there are so many holes in the Windows operating system that this would not be necessary.”
my vote is no, but doesn’t the fbi want software to get into a phone that’s using ios8? my understanding is this can be made for ios8, but not ios9, so even if it is made and they unlock the phone, the same piece of software wouldn’t be able to backdoor ios9 and later. and how do you know the fbi hasn’t already gotten into the phone, and is using this as a reason to get backdoors from companies.
No back doors. Ever!
Then you don’t know software very well.
Again, another BS move by apple. All the talk is about giving the FBI the keys to iOS with a backdoor exploit. Apple does not have to do this and they know it. Instead they call to the fans for support, and as usual, the fanboys are clamoring while having no idea what they are talking about. Apple need not give the government the keys to enter iOS. Apple can comply with the order by taking the phone and removing the data THEMSELVES and handing the government the data and the phone. Everyone is so worried about privacy yet expose much of their life on twitter and Facebook. iPhone has now become the choice for terrorists to hide their activity. People want to be safe……it ends there.
It creates a precedent that can be used in thousands of future legal cases.
Please no backdoors
I am an Apple shareholder and love the company but public safety and fighting terrorists is far more important in my opinion. Sacrifices are needed to fight them. Apple should comply
There is a dichotomy between Apple complying with requests to aid in investigating one particular criminal activity with the aim of determining if there is a wider criminal conspiracy in the US and weakening the protection that iPhone (and presumably other iOS device) users enjoy from criminal activity internationally. The FBI already know who committed this atrocity, so the utilitarian argument is clearly in favour of Tim Cook’s position; greater benefit is obtained by not creating a backdoor that has a potential to be leaked and, indeed, is likely to become a target for hacking, subversion of employees etc.
Extending the utility argument further, it seems – at least from a European perspective – that at least one cause of the carnage inflicted is the free availability of firearms in the US. Perhaps I would change my mind over this matter if the US introduced gun controls to the level almost universal in Europe, but until then I want to know that the personal and information on my iPhone is as well protected as is possible.
No, If they doing this it will open a door that can’t be closed
Yes they should. Same as a wiretap with a judges order. On premises at Apple special tools and with order in hand give the data to the authorities and your done. Not a tool that is with the phone has to be done on premise. People are whack-a-doodle paranoid. this is confiscated phone by murders – period.
Anyone that believes Apple should create a backdoor should move to a country like China. People that believe Apple should comply don’t value privacy, their own nor anyone else’s. Saying, or just thinking, along the lines of “I have nothing to hide” is at best naive but more likely pure ignorance.
I understand that a backdoor would be bad, but why is this on the front page everywhere? I mean – if you really wanted privacy, you’d pick Android/Linux. Open source can’t hide backdoors unlike iOS/OSX
absolutely not.
I vote NO. Think of a slider with Security on one end and Safety on the other. Both are important. But the government’s job is to provide us with Safety, and our job is to enjoy both. If they have to take away our privacy to provide safety, they aren’t doing their job.