Jan 13, 2020
The federal government is preparing for another fight with Apple in an ongoing battle for access to encrypted iPhones. Though this round is about unlocking the device of a mass shooter with suspected terrorist ties, the result may determine how far, and how easily, the government can reach into your phone, too.
The government is again asking Apple to unlock iPhones. Here’s why you should care.
Apple has so far refused to help law enforcement.
The American Civil Liberties Union seems to agree. “The government’s demand would weaken the security of millions of iPhones, and is dangerous and unconstitutional,” Jennifer Granick, ACLU’s Surveillance and Cybersecurity Counsel, told Recode in a statement.
“Strong encryption enables religious minorities facing genocide, like the Uighurs in China, and journalists investigating powerful drug cartels in Mexico, to communicate safely with each other, knowledgeable sources, and the outside world.”
Barr has reopened the debate. Should it reach a court this time, the decision may have ramifications well beyond phones that belong to mass shooters. And that’s been Apple’s point all along:
If the government can force it to crack one phone or include a back door in its products, then there’s nothing stopping the government from accessing every device — including yours.
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