Bill G - Good Little Statist

[glhs837]

I guess I'm lazy because I really don't want to dig into the particulars but --

Is the government asking Apple to crack one phone for them - or asking them to make it so THEY can crack it?

Are they asking for the keys - or for a ride?

Well, it's a bit hard to parse. FBI wants Apple to create a whole new version of the Iphone operating system (IOS) which bypasses the encryption. This could be uploaded to the phone automatically, allowing the FBI to access that data. the FBI says that Apple (which would be required to turn this software over to the FBI, not keep it in house) can tailor this new version so it only works on this phone (tailored through specifying the EIN, which is unique to each phone, I would guess) alone. Of course, once the FBI has this, changing it so that the EIN can be changed would be pretty easy, I imagine. You are handing it over to the folks who created STUXNET after all. Which is why Apple is saying no way. Add in the flawless cyber security exhibited by govt agencies, the risk of such a tool being released in the wild is pretty huge.

FBI wants the master keys, and screw the risk. And the only reason it's chosen this case is because it can use the terror angle as an emotional club to beat down opponents as uncaring capitalists supporting terrorists for fun and profit.

 

[Tilted]

I guess I'm lazy because I really don't want to dig into the particulars but --

Is the government asking Apple to crack one phone for them - or asking them to make it so THEY can crack it?

Are they asking for the keys - or for a ride?

Anyone that tells you that there's an easy answer to that question - that suggests that it's clearly and inarguably one or the other - either doesn't themselves understand the technical aspects of the situation or is just spinning the situation to make whichever (binary) position they're taking seem like the reasonable one.

The only real way to have a fair sense of what's really going on is to try to understand for yourself - to at least some degree, I'm not suggesting that people have to spend days trying to sort out every technical aspect of how iOS security works - what's actually being demanded, and how such things work in the real world.

I would say this, what the FBI is actually demanding could (at least in theory) be described as just having this one iPhone made accessible. However, for starters, what the FBI is asking for - under the conditions they're asking for it - might not be possible. And even if it is, I don't think it's practical in real world terms to expect things would work as the FBI suggests they would - at best, there are just real risks in it; at worst, it's near certain to result in broader vulnerability. Beyond that, there's plenty of reason to think that, despite their protestations to the contrary, this isn't about this one iPhone for the FBI. I'm happy to go further into that if you want me to.

There's also a broader problem with allowing the All Writs Act to be used in this way, or to this extent.

 

[Tilted]

I agree, this battle will be won in the court of public. And I think you are right about them winning. Just this AM, I was given a sound bite explaining that at least some the San Bernardino families are filing a brief to support the govts position. "The families deserves answer".

I saw a report that some of them were supporting the government on this issue. I also saw a report that one of the mothers is supporting Apple and, well, us.

The husband of one of the San Bernadino survivors seems to be supporting Apple in this as well. Notably, he indicates that his view of the situation has changed since he's looked closer at it.

Husband of San Bernardino survivor supports Apple in FBI standoff

 

[Tilted]

vrai - I hope you know I post this in fun. Had it went the other way to this same degree I probably would have posted about that to make fun of myself. As I suggested, I wasn't buying AAPL around then because I was sure it would be going up (at least not in the short term). So I will not take credit for seeing this move happening this fast; I did not. I saw more downside risk than upside potential in the short term. Also, I expect that as soon as I post this AAPL will start plummeting.

I should add, I own Apple stock.

You should sell it immediately.

AAPL was around $95 at that time, it's almost $110 now. Up 15%+ in 5 weeks. U.S. equity markets are up around 8% in that time.