“Facebook Inc. and Twitter Inc., two of Silicon Valley’s most powerful companies, on Thursday backed Apple Inc’s refusal to help the FBI break into an iPhone used by a shooter in the San Bernardino attack, saying that complying would set a dangerous precedent for privacy,” Julia Love reports for Reuters. “It took two days, but the companies’ entry solidifies a small but powerful band of tech giants supporting Apple in its quest to buck government demands that it says would irreparably damage security and erode consumer trust.”
“But other companies are staying mum. Yahoo Inc. and Microsoft Corp. have yet to weigh in on the case,” Love reports. “In characteristic fashion, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey used the service itself to lend support to Apple CEO Tim Cook, tweeting ‘We stand with @tim_cook and Apple (and thank him for his leadership).'”
We stand with @tim_cook and Apple (and thank him for his leadership)! https://t.co/XrnGC9seZ4
— jack (@jack) February 18, 2016
“In a statement, Facebook said, ‘We will continue to fight aggressively against requirements for companies to weaken the security of their systems,'” Love reports. “Although some firms have remained silent, the industry is firmly on Apple’s side, said Aaron Levie, CEO of cloud-based storage provider Box Inc. ‘Companies choose to use their political capital when it is really important or relevant to them,’ Levie said. ‘If individually pressed you would see the same message from essentially any Internet or hardware or enterprise software CEO or company, and that’s because the fundamental security model of our technology would break if you were to comply with this kind of order.’ Levie said he unequivocally supports Cook’s stance.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: It’s good to see some tech CEOs are capable of unequivocally supporting Apple. Right, Sundar, you spineless wonder?
SEE ALSO:
No, Apple has NOT unlocked 70 iphones for law enforcement – February 18, 2016
Apple is right, the U.S. government demand would make us all less secure – February 18, 2016
How Apple will fight the DOJ in iPhone backdoor case: U.S. government’s position stands on 227 year old law – February 18, 2016
USA Today alters logo to support Apple in fight against U.S. government overreach – February 18, 2016
Obama administration claims FBI is not asking Apple for a ‘backdoor’ to the iPhone – February 18, 2016
Privacy activists plan rallies across U.S. to support Apple in battle against U.S. government on February 23rd – February 18, 2016
Google CEO Sundar Pichai wishy-washy on Apple’s fight against U.S. government backdoor demands – February 18, 2016
Why Apple is fighting back against U.S. federal government demands for iPhone access – February 17, 2016
Snowden backs Apple in fight over iPhone; blasts Google’s silence – February 17, 2016
Obama administration: We’re only demanding Apple hack just one iPhone – February 17, 2016
Security firm shows how Apple could bypass iPhone security to comply with FBI request – February 17, 2016
What the Apple court order means for your smartphone privacy – February 17, 2016
EFF opposes U.S. government demand to force Apple to unlock terrorist’s iPhone – February 17, 2016
‘Who do they think they are?’ Donald Trump blasts Apple for not unlocking San Bernardino terrorist’s iPhone – February 17, 2016
Tim Cook posts open letter opposing U.S. government demands to bypass iPhone encryption – February 17, 2016
Apple CEO opposes court order to help FBI unlock San Bernardino terrorist’s iPhone – February 17, 2016
Apple wants judge to rule if it can be forced to unlock defendant’s iPhone – February 16, 2016
U.S. House lawmakers seek to outlaw states from banning encrypted iPhones – February 10, 2016
Obama administration wants access to smartphones – December 15, 2015
Obama administration’s calls for backdoors into encrypted communications echo Clinton-era key escrow fiasco – December 14, 2015
This is good marketing publicity for Apple. Industry leading “privacy and security’ for your most personal device.
In an age of corporatocracy, where corporations shove We The People off the bus with their fat, parasitic, parasite infested fat asses, it’s brilliant to see a group of quality capitalist companies support one another AND We The People in the demand for privacy and adherence to the US Constitution. That is how things WORK, versus break and rot.
Bravo all!
👏 👏 👏 👏
Make that coprotocracy, as defined in Making Light comment #62
HaHaHa! I’ve never seen the ‘word’ but immediately knew what you meant. It was fun to verify the meaning from the link you offered. – – At this point, I’m still at the opinion level of considering my US government to be ‘stupid’ rather than excremental. Stupid is solvable. Crap is crap is crap. I guess I’m an optimist. 😉
What can Sundar say in support? He presides over the security nightmare known as Android. I haven’t noted the FBI asking Google for help on breaking into a Samsung phone – it’s easy!
The 3-letter acronyms in government circles have enough listening posts to canvas the world. Why make it any easier for them to blackmail you?
I wonder if businesses are now going to require the passcode of company phones given out to employees, or do most already do that?
*GAG* :-Q***** What a thought.
We have to come up with a dance that represents repressive, totalitarian regimes. One that fits our modern times.
Here’s a dance for a similar era, the 1 hour version:
Google is going to say they are all for ‘protecting private data’ ?
when last I read they even scan gmail to build their profiles of individuals .
I can under Google’s silence. Hell, their entire business model is based on spying on their customers.
But Microsoft’s silences is a little surprising. I can only surmise that MS is so deeply intertwined with the government that their overloads have told them to STFU.
All the freakin’ typos in my comment above shows what happens when you don’t have enough morning coffee. Let me restate.
——
I can understand Google’s silence. Hell, their entire business model is based on spying on their customers.
But Microsoft’s silence is a little surprising. I can only surmise that MS is so deeply intertwined with the government that their overloads have told them to STFU.
overlords not overloads, right?
——
I too want to see Microsoft come around on this issue, as I expect them to be an Apple business partner some day soon, and an ally in a holy war against Google/AlphaBeta
Businesses know intimately the dangers of the state. Another reason I am a Voluntaryist. https://www.freedomainradio.com