Reuters reports that Amazon said yesterday that it will support Apple's efforts to fight legal efforts by the FBI to force it to develop software that would allow law enforcement officials to hack into an iPhone used by one of the terrorists responsible for the San Bernardino mass shootings.
The FBI position - so far backed by the courts, but under appeal by Apple - is that it should be able to command technology companies to help it with investigations related to national security. Apple's position is that it is inappropriate for the government to force it to develop such a "back door" hack, and that such a tool would violate its customers' privacy and would be misused by other governmental agencies once it exists.
Also supporting the Apple position are technology companies Google and Microsoft.
The FBI position - so far backed by the courts, but under appeal by Apple - is that it should be able to command technology companies to help it with investigations related to national security. Apple's position is that it is inappropriate for the government to force it to develop such a "back door" hack, and that such a tool would violate its customers' privacy and would be misused by other governmental agencies once it exists.
Also supporting the Apple position are technology companies Google and Microsoft.
- KC's View:
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This is a tough one. It is entirely possible to be sympathetic to both sides even if one believes in one side's position over the other. I tend to be more supportive of Apple, and that feeling has been buttressed by the fact that there have been news reports about other prosecutors and agencies lining up to use the back-door tool once it is developed, which is exactly what Apple has been saying would happen.
