Name: Analyzing the Apple-FBI Debate in Under 3 Minutes
Uploaded: 2016-02-22
Duration: 2 min 38 s
Description: Fortune’s Andrew Nusca and Robert Hackett break it down.

[ SOUND ] The Federal Government wants Apple to help it unlock the phone used by the suspect of the San Bernardino shootings. Robert, is this bad news for data privacy? This could have a potentially chilling effect on data privacy And I'll tell you why. The FBI is asking Apple to create a new operating system. Something that doesn't exist that would undermine the security that they've put in place over the past few years. Unbelievable. It is a new hacking tool. And if they put this out in the world, it could go into the wild Hackers could have at it, spies could have at it. And undermining the security of a few, could undermine the security of many. Whatever you do to a mass shooter's phone also affects a consumer's phone just like you and I. That's a very good point but at the same time, there is a little bit of good news that this is even happening, and that is the fact that we might Finally get some clarity on what we're supposed to do in this situation. Up until now, Apple has been helping the federal government whenever these kind of requests will come along, and more recently, it decided it wasn't going to do that anymore. This is clearly a standoff. We We finally might get some legislative clarity on the issue, and if not that, then at least some judicial one. Whatever clarity we may get from this particular instance, is not going to be as widespread across the rest, and moving into the future I mean this particular case involves an iPhone 5C, on a particular iOS software, one of the latest ones. And whatever happens regarding this, Apple could easily architect their system in the next iteration to avoid helping the FBI in this way. Yeah, you're right that this is in fact a narrow case at least that's what the government wants you to think. But at the same time. The one silver lining for me truthfully is that we're finally seeing some kind of increased consumer awareness around data privacy issues. Most consumers they go on Facebook they don't think about how their data is used. They use Google services they don't think about how it's used. I mean Edward Snowden made his revelations years ago but I mean at the same time that didn't really connect with the consumer. Now the consumer looks in their pocket, sees that iPhone and goes I don't know. Consumer data privacy awareness is definitely a great thing and I'm sure that it's going to increase. I mean, look at the debate that's going on right now about this and about encryption. Absolutely. These are now esoteric topics that are now entered the public sphere. But in this case Apple fears that this could set a legal president where tech companies will be compelled to help governments. And Apple for instance is not just a US company, it is a global brand. They could have governments all across The rest of the world now, knocking on their door, asking for special privileges and access to whatever. And that could have a bad effect for [ UNKNOWN ] That's a fair point. For one show that always sets a precedence. Come to fortune. com, for more tech debate.

Analyzing the Apple-FBI Debate in Under 3 Minutes

Fortune’s Andrew Nusca and Robert Hackett break it down.