December 2, 2015 is a date that continues to trouble us all. On that day, not only did a mass shooting occur, but a conflicting showdown sparked between Apple and the FBI. Today, the shooting has turned into a court case that questions whether civil rights precede the duties to protect the country against terrorism. This has become one of the biggest legal battles in Apple’s history. At the end of the day, the government works to protect us, so their desired actions must be ones that we all should take a minute to listen to and eventually follow through with.
Syed Rizwan Forook, 28, and Tashfeen Malik, 29, opened fire during a holiday event at the Inland Regional center in San Bernardino, California. Since the tragedy, investigators have found Farook’s cell phone. Investigators could not access the passwords to get into the phone, and once it has been guessed incorrectly ten times, the phone destroys itself. Apple does not have the software to get into the phone.
To learn more about the shooting itself, the government has asked Apple design software that would allow them to “hack” into the device. Apple has not been very cooperative with the government claiming that privacy is their number one value to their customers. They claim themselves to be an International Privacy Business. If privacy is such a priority to Apple, they need to implement limitations on who can get their hands on this new software.
The FBI has recently announced that they would like for this new “password breaking” software to eventually be installed in every iPhone. While some may view this as invasive, these are simply safety precautions. What people don’t realize is that investigating terrorism is much like a field of dots. The personal information of each individual is represented by one dot. If you’re dot is not connected to any terrorist threats or terrorists themselves, then it will be left untouched. Therefore, if you have nothing to hide and are considered the stereotypical “good” person, then you should have nothing to fear when it comes to the idea of this software being used as a safety tool.
There is evidence from the San Bernardino shooting that links the attack and the two to ISIS. Farook and Malik were a terrorist team and their phones could let us see through the eyes of other ISIS members. When does the privacy of this dead couple become more important than our national security? We need to open our eyes as a country, and not let terrorism win. We should use the tools we have to begin an era of change in our country for the better, even if we have to sacrifice some liberties in the process.
Clearly, the FBI is aware of the worst possible cases that answer questions starting with the big “what if?” With that knowledge, the government is still pressing for Apple to create this software, and there must be a reason for it.
While we have rights to privacy, this software is not illegal. Therefore, technically it’s not breaking any of our civil rights laws. I believe that it is selfish for people to be putting themselves before the security of our country. Let me ask you this. Would you rather have a software in your phone that aids the government in catching terrorists before they get to us or would you rather ignore this helpful tool and set us up with a disadvantage when it comes to defeating terrorist groups? Keep in mind that the government already has access to the voluntary information that you give to your local phone company such as the numbers you call each day and your billing information. So it’s not like the government is asking for much more.
This is the year of 2016. We have been dreaming of the countless number of inventions and innovations that would be made possible due to technology accessible to our generations at this time. Investigators have been waiting for years to get their hands on something like this because it is something that could change the world for the better. Apple’s new software could potentially save lives, and that is certainly an opportunity we as a country should be jumping on in a heartbeat.
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