Feds vs iPhone

The notion that Apple, who overtly and covertly collects as much user data as Google and Facebook, is somehow on the side of citizen privacy is absurd.

The notion that the collective cryptanalytical capabilities of the federal government cannot get past the auto erase trigger on an iPhone is equally absurd.

The notion that both the Feds and private industry -- to include Apple -- have in the recent past earned public outrage for colluding to collect against the citizenry and are now suddenly "unable" and "unwilling" respectively, is...interesting. ;)
 
I'm wondering why we even know that this is an issue. What's the problem if the top guy from the FBI and the top guy at Apple meet, they have a cup of coffee and the Apple guy just plugs in unlocks the phone?
 
It's my understand that the Feds want Apple to supply them with software (that does not exist) so they can break into iPhones. That's well beyond a subpoena or anything along those lines. What the Feds are demanding is conscription. Apple, you will create software for us under penalty of law! No thanks. The Feds have already proven that they don't have the talent to keep things secure from Chinese hackers and others.

Now if the Feds wanted to extend security clearance to a select group of Apple folks that might be different. Give the iPhone to Apple and let Apple get the data and turn it over to the Feds on a case by case basis.
 
I'm wondering why we even know that this is an issue. What's the problem if the top guy from the FBI and the top guy at Apple meet, they have a cup of coffee and the Apple guy just plugs in unlocks the phone?

That was the way it worked, up until the latest major overhaul of the operating system software was implemented - 9.x, iirc.
 
This is nothing more than the government trying to get terrorists and criminals to once again believe they can't access the data on your phone.

This topic baffles me. All my liberal friends don't want the government building a backdoor to their data, and all my conservative friends are bending over ready and willing.

Think of the children you say? Think of the creepy Eastern European dude watching your daughter through the camera's phone and posting it to some pay porn site. The minute Apple creates a version of iOS that can be backdoored (what the FBI wants them to be forced to create), then you've just dropped your drawers for the world. Good luck with that.
 
I'm wondering why we even know that this is an issue. What's the problem if the top guy from the FBI and the top guy at Apple meet, they have a cup of coffee and the Apple guy just plugs in unlocks the phone?

Because you're not understanding how the encryption works. It's the "erase after 10 failed attempts" security feature that keeps anyone, including Apple from brute-forcing the passcode (if the user has a 4-digit code and doesn't enable the security erase feature, it doesn't take long to try all the possible combinations until you get it.).

To access the phone, the FBI is "asking" to pay Apple to create an update to iOS "just for this phone" that wouldn't have the erase feature. The problem is that once Apple creates this as-yet-unwritten version of iOS, it WILL get out in the wild, AND the FBI and law enforcement will use it on any phone they please. There's nothing to stop a judge from ordering Apple to turn over this new iOS to the authorities once they create it.

You can pull me over for a traffic violation and be mean to me even though I'm polite. You can force imminent domain on me and take my land. You can no-knock warrant me and bust into my home. But you can't have my innermost thoughts. Our souls are bare to the world on these phones, and we need our personal data protected at ALL COSTS. Period.
 
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I'm not much of a phone guy and I'm probably quite naive. However I'm on Apple's side on this one. If the Feds want that phone hacked then let THEM develop the software to do it....and I hope they will.
 
Unless you're the guy who killed 14 and seriously injured 22.

Pete

It's as if you didn't read what I wrote and just wanted a cheap shot snarky quote to hang your hat on. It's all or nothing with breaking this encryption. You can't do what the FBI is asking "just this once" and expect to keep YOUR privacy.
 
This is nothing more than the government trying to get terrorists and criminals to once again believe they can't access the data on your phone.

This topic baffles me. All my liberal friends don't want the government building a backdoor to their data, and all my conservative friends are bending over ready and willing.

Think of the children you say? Think of the creepy Eastern European dude watching your daughter through the camera's phone and posting it to some pay porn site. The minute Apple creates a version of iOS that can be backdoored (what the FBI wants them to be forced to create), then you've just dropped your drawers for the world. Good luck with that.
Lol really?!

If that were true how is it that we allow our daughters to purchase Android devices, or computer cameras. Or even go online since many viruses can do this remotely

The problem here is with the password. 10 wrong tries and it wipes the phone clean. The FBI wants Apple to build an additional operating system that they can load into the phone to disable that feature, at which point the FBI can run their password generating software. The problem lies in the fact that once built it can't be unbuilt but there will already exist the knowhow and the code. Which can then be potentially used to or updated to be used over WiFi to get into other phones remotely. The FBI say they want it only for this one phone and one time but no one can say 100% that the code and the knowledge will just vanish once that's done
 
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Lol really?!

If that were true how is it that we allow our daughters to purchase Android devices, or computer cameras.

Don't current Android phones have equivalent security to the iPhone?

We all have to decide the level of risk were comfortable with. Giving a teenager unfettered access to a Windows PC with a web cam is certainly risky.
 
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I am not familiar with this particular terrorist.

Are you serious?
shocked.gif


December 2, 2015? San Bernadino, California? Ring any bells with you?

 
Don't current Android phones have equivalent security to the iPhone?

We all have to decide the level of risk were comfortable with. Giving a teenager unfettered access to a Windows PC with a web cam is certainly risky.
They may, I'm not sure. But what we are talking about here is access to unlock passwords and get into the phone. What you're talking about is a Trojan virus that when uploaded allows an outside person access to the phone. Those have been around since the Internet. No one needs her password, all she has to do is click on the wrong link all by herself
 
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