“Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.”
While Benjamin Franklin might have written those words in simpler times and in reference to taxation instead of terrorism, they do offer food for thought when considering the current fight Apple is engaged in with the United States government.
In essence, the FBI, with support from the White House, is trying to compel Apple to build a backdoor into its iPhone software to help investigators unlock the phones belonging to the San Bernardino terrorists. Apple is opposing the court order saying doing so would compromise the security of all iPhone users – that’s 75 million users in the U.S. alone.
The issue has stirred debate across the continent and the globe. If Apple were to comply, it would essentially create a master key for every iPhone on Earth. Some have coined it the Pandora’s box of technology.
It is a difficult debate and one that is fuelled by hyperbole. On one side there are those condemning Apple for obstructing an investigation and putting lives at risk. On the other side, there are those who believe such a move would put too much power into the hands of big brother.
Since 9/11, governments in both Canada and the U.S. have enacted laws tightening security and giving them more access to our private information. On the premise of public safety, we have, in many cases, willingly allowed these changes to happen with only mild dissent.
Sacrificing personal privacy has seemed a small price to pay for many for either more security or at least the perception of more security. But it is a dangerous game. Allowing our governments to chip away at our constitutional rights and liberties is like weight gain, you do not notice until the pants will no longer button up. By that point it is a hard road back and most simply opt for new clothes.
For Apple this is an important philosophical stand, and the outcome will have global significance. Regardless of the rhetoric, it is encouraging to see someone taking a stand for the protection of our privacy. While it is easy to argue Apple has played its own part in making people's personal information less secure – essentially trading it for the next gadget – this stand at least shows there is a line even it won't cross.
Unfortunately for the company, it is likely a no-win situation. Complying with the federal order will erode trust in Apple products. Not complying will likely mean certain users will abandon the company and label it a terrorist sympathizer.
There is no question that protecting people from harm is of paramount concern but to do so at the expense of the rights and liberties people have fought for and continue to fight for is a step in the wrong direction.
There will come a time when we have let so many rights go that the nations we were proud to call home will cease to exist, like our waistlines after the thousandth time saying just one more cookie.
