>>>http://www.cnbc.com/2016/02/22/apple-seems-to-be-losing-pr-battle-over-unlocking-iphone.html
>>>
>>>This seems to be a no-brainer to me.
>>>Apple should unlock the phone, give the information to the FBI, and not tell anyone how they did it.
>>>What harm would that do?
>>
>>In the long run - probably a lot. Apple is not designing systems to prevent law enforcement from executing legitimate warrants. It’s building systems that prevent EVERYONE who might want your data—including hackers, malicious insiders, and even hostile foreign governments—from accessing your phone. This is absolutely in the public interest. Moreover, in the process of doing so, Apple is setting a precedent that users, and not companies, should hold the keys to their own devices.
>>Plus it may not even be possible to Apple to do this even if they wanted. I would be more sympathetic towards the feds - but its the idiot FBI that changed the password to begin with so they screwed themselves. Had they done this with his phone while connected to the guys home WiFi then this wouldn't be such a huge issue - but like I said the FBI screwed up.
>>Considering the massive problems we currently have with the police illegally using stingrays, I'm not real interested in giving the feds a damn thing when it comes to protecting my electronic privacy. And the idea of Apple not telling anyone how they did it? Yeah I don't think that will work either, because if they pull data, and then it's contested in court - Apple is going to have to show evidence of how they did it. Sure a judge can 'seal the record' or whatever - but we all know how well that works out all too often.
>
>Victor
>
>One of the many nice things about in advancing in years is that you get to see things in a historical perspective.
>
>Back in the day, before computers, people kept personal phone books which contained the names, numbers and addresses of their friends and acquaintances (we used to have friends and acquaintances - now we have contacts.)
>I might have missed it, but in all the news accounts of things that were stolen by thieves in break-ins I saw things like cash, jewelry, electronics, etc, but never a phone book.
>Let me say this loud and clear. Anyone who wants my phone book can have it. Don't break in.
>Just ask. I'll gladly give it to you.
>Anyone who is so bad off that they would steal the name and phone number of my dentist... I want to help that person.
>I'll gladly give you her name and number.
>Call her.
>She does great root canal.
>Enjoy.

Right - but smartphones are not just phone books with a couple of emails. There is more stuff on a persons smartphone that in most people's diary. It's not like an old-school phone were you get some phone numbers, call history, maybe a few text messages. It's every damn thing about your whole life - and a lot of stuff about your family, friends, and co-workers in there too - not to mention there could be sensitive work-related info in there too. It's hardly the same thing as asking for a phone book.

>Anyone who wants to steal my emails is welcome to them. I especially hope they steal those horrible (this was just too good, I had to pass it along) stories that my well-meaning ex-services buddies forward by the dozen every day.
>Forget waterboarding, Donald.
>Being forced to read those things for a couple of hours will break anyone.
>
>Seriously, Victor.
>Notwithstanding all we've read and seen on the screen, the FBI has some pretty smart people working for it.
>If they are asking for help from Apple on this, it's because they think it might help them keep some people from being killed.
>Maybe it will and maybe it won't but how would you want to err in this case?

If the FBI has such great minds working on it - then why did they screw the whole thing up by changing the password like they did to begin with? And if they're so brilliant why do they need Apples help anyway? The FBI is of course going to claim it's a matter of life and death no matter what. The other thing that is 100% is that if the FBI gets this ability, it will be abused - just like with the stringrays (and every thing else they touch). Personally I would error on the side of the millions and millions of Apple users in the USA who don't want the FBI poking around in their business. After all the crap the FBI has pulled on the American people over the years, I myself don't want them having the keys to anything else. I'm not saying all FBI agents are bad, or even that the FBI itself is bad - I'm just saying that as a whole I don't trust the FBI- and looking at history there is good reason for this. The FBI is just using this case as a ruse to get into your biz. Don't be fooled by the man!