FBI Says that Apple and Google are horrid for locking the phones.
As many here saw Apple has announced that IS 08 has encryption in it that prevents Apple from being able to unlock the phone, even if they are given a warrant. Many privacy advocates have cheered Apple's actions, which was quickly joined by Google for their Android systems.
Some people aren't nearly so enthusiastic in their approval. In fact, some are down right upset that the phones will be out of their reach.
Washington (CNN) -- Apple and Google have won praise from privacy proponents for efforts to encrypt their latest smartphones in a way that would prevent law enforcement from accessing certain private data. The FBI, not so much.
Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey told reporters Thursday that the agency is talking to both companies to raise concerns that their privacy efforts could hinder criminal investigations.
So what horrid crimes are being trotted out that will now go unsolved if the police don't have access to the phones?
If you guessed Child Pornography, you guessed right.
“Apple will become the phone of choice for the pedophile,” said John J. Escalante, chief of detectives for Chicago’s police department. “The average pedophile at this point is probably thinking, I’ve got to get an Apple phone.”
And if anyone should know about Pedophiles,
it's the Chicago Police right?
A 19-year veteran Chicago police officer has been ordered held on $20,000 bail after being charged with aggravated criminal sexual assault and abuse charges, according to court records.
Allen Hall, 60, a 19-year police officer, was charged with separate counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse and assault charges including several involving a child, according to records.
So what is this all about? Obviously the outrage about the NSA/CIA/GCHQ/FBI/DHS/Any and all other groups and organizations spying on the people illegally was behind the move by Apple and Google. Because of the actions of unscrupulous dolts in the Intelligence and law enforcement who wanted and got
unfettered access to every communication source in the world, and somehow still failed to prevent a single terrorist attack, people got pissed and wanted their right to privacy.
I've mentioned before, and this should give you an idea that certain things ring bells in my mind. In 1988 I was working as a Security Guard. I took an eight hour class to get my baton permit, and the resulting pay increase. During the class I was told that if I ever used the baton, that I should tell witnesses that the person I struck with the billy club, was a child molester. Nothing so disgusts people as that, nothing has such a visceral hatred as those words. So any time I hear that if we don't do something to give the Police some outrageous authority or the Pedophiles will get away with it, I am naturally doubtful. Because I was told to lie by the police, and use the most horrid crime imaginable to justify any use of my nightstick on another person. I naturally doubt that there is much if any truth to the knee jerk claim that this will enable pedophiles, or that will help the criminals.
I remain supportive of Apple and Google in their fight for privacy. If the police want to be trusted with an authority, or a power, they have to stop abusing it, and there is little doubt that the power was abused. Even if you wanted to use the Jesuit argument that the ends justify the means, the end is that the broad surveillance powers did not prevent one single terrorist incident.
I stand by the Blackstone formulation. It is better that ten guilty men go free, than one innocent man suffer.
For the law enforcement types. It's better that a thousand innocent suffer, than one guilty go free.
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