The U.S. government’s case against Apple to force Apple to change the iPhone’s operating system software, iOS to allow access to a terrorist’s information is an issue that impacts all of us.
Even though the FBI has insisted that this is just about this case is just about a single phone, the end result would be opening Pandora’s Box or iPhone in this case. Once the solution has been created, everyone will want to use it; the British, the French, the Russians, your wife’s divorce lawyer…. And the FBI has other cases where this might be used to compel Apple to change their product. And once a method has be created, it will only be a matter of time (weeks or days) before hackers have created their own version to steal your identity and bank balance.
As the government demands access to our secrets, they demand their secrets are protected by the highest level of encryption in the name of “National Security,” some which turnout to be questionable and illegal, many exposed by Edward Snowden in 2013. On the opposite side, the government does have valid reasons for protecting certain information and so do citizens.
We all should be creating or buying the best encryption technology available to protect our lives, liberties, and bank accounts. Our government should not be trying to weaken that protection. Maybe it is time to create an explicit Right to Privacy in our constitution instead of the current maze of laws and implied protections.