Protests planned across U.S. to back Apple in battle with FBI
STAR-ADVERTISER / MARCH 2012
In this 2012 file photo, people waited in line to purchase their new iPads at the Apple store at Ala Moana.
SAN FRANCISCO » Protesters are preparing to assemble in more than 30 cities to lash out at the FBI for obtaining a court order that requires Apple to make it easier to unlock an encrypted iPhone used by a gunman in December’s mass shootings in Southern California.
The protests organized by the Internet rights group Fight for the Future are scheduled to occur Tuesday outside Apple stores in the U.S., the U.K., Hong Kong and Germany.
The U.S. protests will be in cities scattered across more than 20 states, including in New York, Chicago, San Francisco and Washington, where protesters plan to express their discontent outside the FBI’s headquarters.
The gatherings will come a week after the FBI went to court to force Apple to weaken the security built into most iPhones to help a terrorism investigation in San Bernardino, California. The FBI wants Apple to remove a feature that erases the information stored on an iPhone after 10 unsuccessful attempts to enter a password, preventing unauthorized users from accessing the device.
The iPhone that the FBI is trying to examine was used by Syed Farook, who along with his wife killed 14 people in December.
Apple is fighting the court order issued in the case, arguing that the special software sought by the FBI could be used to break into millions of other iPhones. The FBI contends Apple is exaggerating the security risks of complying with the court order in a marketing ploy aimed at selling more iPhones.
Fight for the Future believes Apple’s concerns are warranted and is hoping the protests will persuade the Obama administration to take a stand against the way the FBI is trying to break into Farook’s iPhone, said Evan Greer, the group’s campaign director.
The White House so far has stood behind the FBI in its battle with Apple Inc.
12 responses to “Protests planned across U.S. to back Apple in battle with FBI”
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the guy lost his right to privacy when he killed
Do you really believe that criminals should not have rights? The reason we have a bill of rights in our constitution is protect all citizens from actions by their government that would if unchecked, potentially enslave us. Even the most evil person among us has the right to a fair trial, a right to speak freely, and a right not to be subject to unreasonable search and seizure. If we voluntarily give up those rights for government protection from evil doers, don’t the terrorists win?
One of the main reasons I bought apple was because of its tight security against hackers and viruses. Why should apple weaken it’s security?! Then there’s no point buying an apple. Good for Apple and the protesters.
Security? Apple knows when you pass gas like you just did.
These protesters were sent an email to their “private” accounts by Apple to do so with a popup ad for the new iphones.
Are you trying to express some kind of irony because Apple sends email to accounts folks voluntarily submitted to register with iTunes, etc?
Let the FBI look elsewhere for clues–the answers aren’t only in the IPhone. With all the tax payers monies spent on intelligence such as the NSA, FBI, CIA and the list goes on and on, I don’t think Apple needs to give up it’s secrets. If these agencies want to keep tabs on the entire US, let them all work for it and not just resort to breaking into phones.
The people planning to protest across the US, Thevisitor 967 and NiteMarcher apparently do not understand we are at war with Islamic terrorists who are trying very hard to kill Americans. The iPhone in question may have information on it that might help stop more killings of Americans. No one is asking Apple to weaken its security or to give up its secrets. The FBI simply wants Apple to remove a feature that erases information on one particular iPhone after 10 unsuccessful attempts to erase the password. Did you get that? ONE particular iPhone. It is baseless to say this somehow invades privacy rights of other iPhone owners.
thank you CIA FBI VA GOV TRUST YOU ARE YOU KIDDING
And what happens after Apple does this and then another law enforcement agency investigating a domestic violence or auto theft gets a subpoena to unlock a phone saying “Apple did it before”. Where do you draw the line? Or how about the Chinese who tells Apple “We want to be able to unlock any iPhone in the country. We now know you can do it and if you don’t you can’t sell your phones in our country.”
Once this particular camel gets his nose under the wall of the tent, there’s no putting him back outside. When that particular security feature is compromised, the work-around will spread like crazy and it won’t be just to law enforcement. Fortunately, iPhones can also be remotely disabled by the user using “find my iPhone.”
“…the FBI went to court to force Apple to weaken the security built into most iPhones…”
That is not “one particular phone,” is it? That’s just like saying that the government wants Ford to create a key that will open and operate every Ford in America so they can get into a particular vehicle. But, don’t worry, they’ll return it when they’re done.