A battle for privacy. A war of technology. We should have seen it coming. The day someone bold enough to do so declared that technology was becoming too secure.  That “someone” was the FBI. Back in December of 2015, a domestic terrorist in California, also the owner of an iPhone (a happy coincidence), disturbed the nation with a shooting at the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino.  

The Federal Bureau of Investigation netted the now dead terrorist’s iPhone, hoping to access his personal information and to potentially uncover secret information regarding other terrorist plots.  There’s just one problem: the security on the iPhone is impossible to bypass– not even the most skilled device hackers can break into his phone.

IPhones were built with such intense security that there is no way to access the information stored on the phone except through the hands of the owner himself. Such heightened technology assures customers that no one can stand between their personal information and themselves.  The FBI, however, sees this as a danger because the information is unreachable.  The agency has requested that Apple develop the technology to crack into iPhones, in turn taking away the virtue of the pocket-sized safe.  Implementing a way to open locked iPhones would not affect the current models of the iPhone, but would be put in place for upcoming products.  

In a way, Apple customers put more trust in their cell phone manufacturers than they do in their government.  The same can be said for Android users: people trust that their information is secure because it often is protected to such a degree that the government, at least in the case of San Bernardino shooter, cannot access the information.

Some see this government request as a threat to Apple customers’ security.  They argue that the government has no right to the technology that will allow them to access the information of millions of Apple users.  However, the FBI is not forcing anyone to do anything; the Bureau simply requested that Apple “techies” work to develop a safe and secure model of the iPhone and other Apple products as to secure personal information–just not too secure that the government can’t get into it if they need to.

With this type of issue, compromise proves difficult and almost impossible.  With some perspective, it is clear to see the FBI’s frustration.  They have a gold mine of priceless, possibly lifesaving information literally right at the tips of their fingers, yet it is completely inaccessible.

Sometimes losing information is the price paid in return for everyone else’s satisfaction with their level of privacy. The question we ask ourselves and our nation is this: do we let go of our personal security in trade for the idea of national security? To some extent, the comfort of knowing that our personal information stays private reassures American citizens that we truly live in the land of the free.  At the same time, however, the results of such tight technological security could mean sacrificing the ability to access information such as that in the case of the San Bernardino shooting.

America asked this question 15 years ago in 2001 with the passing of the Patriot Act.  To what extent should the government be allowed to reach while “intercepting terrorist threats?”  The government has proposed that the technology to retrieve the information could only be created for one phone.  That is simply unreasonable.  Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, addressed this suggestion saying, “Once created, the technique could be used over and over again.” The problem with technology is that much of it is not unique.  An individual iPhone is simply one of millions of products just like it.  Creating and employing a way to break into one iPhone means providing a way to access all iPhones. Donald Trump argues in full favor of making Apple develop this technology and providing a way to access the information (I would bet that Hillary Clinton and her emails would disagree with him).  In his tweet on February 19th, he said “Boycott all Apple products until such time as Apple gives cell phone info to authorities regarding radical Islamic terrorist couple from Cal.”

In my opinion, Trump has the wrong approach in attempting to boycott all Apple products.  (Side note: If Trump’s methodology in solving an issue defaults to a boycott, how can anyone trust him to run a country?)  First of all, there has to be a better way to solve the issue than abstaining from any Apple product use.  Second, Apple should not have to compromise the integrity of their products simply to get out of the spotlight.  They’re getting all of the heat for something that is actually quite commendable.  To design a product that even the FBI cannot gain access to is something of a monumental accomplishment.  Obviously, the government is frustrated.  Although there may be a way to design a product that is in fact “crackable,” perhaps it is not worth the risk of the government abusing that technology.  The danger also lies in the technique falling into the wrong hands.

It’s a good day to be the proud owner of an Android.