Apple's Tech Allies Oppose the FBI
Wait a minute: are not the same companies that Apple has previously criticized by lobbying veiled accusations that exploit your personal information - to sell ads - and indeed jeopardize your privacy?Some might argue that the allies of Apple are hypocrites when it comes to privacy, as peers of the association in "Animal House," they said. "He can not do that to our promises can only do that our promises. "But the vision of Silicon Valley of privacy is more nuanced than that. And Americans have always been worried less by the private sector and more on the power of government to infringe on individual rights."The government can put me in jail," said Larry Downs, an expert at the Center of Georgetown University Business and Public Policy. "Google, Facebook and Twitter can not."
That makes the iPhone details of special importance. The FBI says it is only seeking technical assistance in close bypassing security features on a phone used by one of the shooters who killed 14 people in San Bernardino. "We could not look at the survivors in the eye if we do not follow this track," FBI Director James Comey said online.
Apple argues that the order of a judge compel create software that will make others vulnerable to future iPhones piracy by the authorities and criminals. leading technology companies such as Google, Twitter, Facebook and Microsoft say they will present legal arguments in support of Apple's position.
The same companies objected strongly after former government contractor Edward Snowden revealed the extent of the monitoring programs of the National Security Agency responsible for collecting user data and even exploited their networks without their knowledge. Companies have gone to court and Congress to limit such collection of government data, while fighting attempts to weaken encryption codes that protect your messages from prying eyes.
However, privacy advocates have complained that those companies reap billions of dollars by collecting all types of personal information, including records of online behavior of customers, and use it to target them for advertising.
Apple CEO Tim Cook has leveled blows to its competitors, boasting that Apple is not based on advertising revenue for most of its services. As has been said more than once: "When an online service is free, you're not the customer is the product.".
But even some of Apple collects customer information. Experts say that it is actually unclear whether Apple posture privacy is a big selling point for most consumers.
Companies like Google and Facebook argue that strive to protect the data they collect. Facebook, for example, tastes and track user actions so the company can show them aimed at people with similar announcements. But Facebook has said it does not give advertisers access to information related to any person by name.
Internet companies do not work very differently brokers traditional data, such as credit bureaus, which make their money selling all kinds of information about people - their income and payment history of bills where they have lived and worked.
"Google does not sell your personal information," said Rachel Whetstone, then a vice president of the giant Internet company, in a speech last year. "Nor do we share without your permission except in very limited circumstances" as when faced with an order issued by a court. Like Facebook, Google says that pushes back against government requests that appear unjustified or too broad.
In contrast to the business of Google, he said the grindstone, government surveillance often involves data "collected for a completely separate purpose," usually people did not expect it would be seen by the authorities. She said that Google offers users the ability to limit the collection of data.
Whetstone was speaking in Europe, where many national governments have strong privacy laws that restrict what companies can do with the data of people. "The American view is that we need protection against misuse of government information, rather than what we need government to protect us from others misuse of our information," Downs said.
However, some privacy advocates say the iPhone dispute highlights concerns about data collection.Consumers should realize any information that give companies a day may be sought by the government, said Cindy Cohn, executive director of the Electronic Frontier Foundation.
"I'm glad these companies are coming together to support Apple," he said. "Ultimately, you can pose some difficult questions for them about the amount of information they need to collect, and how secure it, and how long they keep it."
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