Florida congressman floats stupid, anti-Apple bill

Government officials seem to be in some kind of race to see which of them can be the most indignant and/or outraged at Apple’s refusal to create security-bypassing software for its devices. And we’re pretty sure Rep. David Jolly has just won.

Jolly, who represents Florida’s 13th District, submitted a bill Wednesday that would make it illegal for any federal office to own or lease Apple products until Cupertino gives in to the FBI’s demands. And he did so because state-sponsored blacklisting of organizations that legally disagree with the government is exactly how free countries work.

The bill, which Jolly calls the “No Taxpayer Support for Apple Act” (HR 4663), gets right to it. Here is its full text:

No agency or other entity within the executive, legislative, or judicial branch of the Federal Government may purchase any product manufactured by, licensed by, or otherwise sold under the trademark of Apple Inc. of 1 Infinite Loop, Cupertino, California (hereafter referred to “Apple”) until a court of Federal jurisdiction certifies that Apple has provided the Federal Government with the technical support necessary to access encrypted information sought by a judicial warrant that may be materially relevant to the investigation of commission of terrorism.

Not only is the anti-Apple bill a bad idea, but it’s very poorly worded. For one thing, it doesn’t specify which investigation the federal judge has to sign Apple’s report card on before the government can buy iPads again. We know he means the current case involving December’s mass shooting in San Bernardino, California, and the FBI’s demand that Apple break into the dead shooter’s iPhone.

And Jolly surely knows that’s what he means. But the bill has no idea. If it passed — which it won’t, because it reads more like hollow, election-year grandstanding than legislation — it would be impossible to enforce.

“Taxpayers should not be subsidizing a company that refuses to cooperate in a terror investigation that left 14 Americans dead on American soil,” Jolly said in a statement. “Following the horrific events of September 11, 2001, every citizen and every company was willing to do whatever it took to side with law enforcement and defeat terror. It’s time Apple shows that same conviction to further protect our nation today.”

Jolly joins the county attorney’s office of Maricopa County, Arizona, which entered the “We’re the maddest at Apple” contest by announcing it would no longer issue Apple products for office use. Maricopa County prosecutor Bill Montgomery said Apple had put itself “on the side of terrorists instead of on the side of public safety.”

Evan Killham

Evan Killham is a freelance writer who lives in Nebraska and isn’t interested in football, so he has plenty of time to play and think about video games. He has written for Bitmob and GamesBeat and sometimes, he even goes outside. But not too often because he’s heard there are bees out there. Occasionally, companies send free units for review. Evan subscribes to Cult of Mac’s Reviews Policy and also does not keep the items he receives for possible coverage.