Not, Apple vs. FBI
Yesterday, Apple unveiled four new products at their headquarters in California. With the introduction, CEO Tim Cook adamantly declared that he would not “shrink back” from their stance with the Feds in the next day’s court hearing. Apple has taken an unwavering stance to not cooperate with the FBI, insisting a “master key” creates cybersecurity threats to other iPhone users and accuses the Federal government of overstepping the boundaries of the law. FBI’s demand might help establish a Data Security Precedent.
Today’s much anticipated court hearing between Apple and the FBI was cancelled yesterday afternoon at the FBI’s request. Due to the case’s international news coverage and publicity, numerous parties have approached the FBI to offer support and technical aid in hacking the phones of the San Bernardino mass killers. Thus, the FBI is now working to test the methods with a “third-party” in order to obtain critical evidence from the killer’s phones. For the time being Apple’s cooperation, input, expertise is not needed.
So what was Apple’s reaction to this? Hard to believe that Apple’s lawyers wanted to know the identity of the third-party and their methods for hacking the iPhone! They cannot be serious. Apple refuses to cooperate with the FBI due to their insistence on privacy to consumers and now they want the FBI to reveal the privacy of information to them. Why should they? Would that be like Apple overstepping the boundaries of the privacy laws to know?
I wonder how long it will take Apple to realize the absurdity of their hypocrisy in this twist of events. According to the Bill O’Reilly, commentator of the O’Reilly Factor, he stated that 38% favor Apple’s position and the majority of 62% are siding with the FBI. Bill Gates clearly advocates with the FBI’s. Presidential candidate, Donald Trump called for a boycott and ban on all Apple products until the Apple fully cooperates with the law to assist in this terrorist attack.
Last week, the police in Brussels attended the funeral of one of the Paris terrorist suicide bombers not out of paying respect for the killer. They were there to identify all the families, friends, sympathizers, and conspirators of the deceased terrorist…and by the way to confiscate all their mobile phones. Which were then able to lead them on the recent raid of Salah Abdeslam.
By coincidence, on the same day that the Apple vs. FBI case was scheduled, this morning there were several ISIS led attacks in Brussels. Suicide bombers targeted first the airport and then an hour later the subway train claiming the lives of 31 people and wounding 180 others. Reporting that these attacks are well orchestrated and sophisticatedly planned, it should also be obvious that they are well “communicated”. I agree phones were a great invention. There are 6 billion active cell phones in the world and 7.3 billion people. Granted the majority of people are using their phones for personal and business purposes but when phones are being used as instruments to commit terrorist attacks and murders then they are turned into weapons of mass destruction…or simply weapons. That would and should also constitute a different treatment by manufacturers and by the law.
There’s an American saying, “too many cooks spoil the broth.” I heard someone on TV say, “too many Cooks spoil the stew.” The inference being made for Apple’s CEO, Mr. Tim Cook as the Cooks and the stew could be…
Anyway, you get the idea; like I said before, one rotten apple. [MENA-Forum, One Rotten Apple!, dated Feb. 27, 2016]
And come to think of it I also wrote, “Yes, let’s start with rounding up the Apple phones and products which are obviously being used by terrorist.” [MENA-Forum, Apple Computers vs. FBI, dated March 9, 2016], I wonder if the Brussels police read my article.
Read more on a similar case on Fortune of 25 March 2016.
