FOR THE WEEK OF MAR. 14, 2016

Legal standoff between Apple and FBI involves iPhone privacy and mass shooting investigation

Apple Inc. is resisting federal pressure to develop a way of unlocking an iPhone 5C carried by gunman Syed Farook when he opened fire in San Bernardino, Calif., on Dec. 2. A few hours later, police killed him and his wife, who participated in the slayings of 14 people and the wounding of 22 others at a county office building. FBI terrorism investigators can't see evidence in the phone's memory because it's passcode-locked.

A California federal judge has ordered Apple to disable an auto-erase feature that deletes all contents after 10 failed passcode attempts. The FBI also wants Apple to design software to disable other protections so agents can crack the passcode. The company says helping the government get a "master key" to unlock phones would erode privacy protections for millions of customers. "The government's demands are chilling," says Apple chief executive Tim Cook. "We are challenging the FBI's demands with the deepest respect for American democracy and a love of our country." He's backed by virtually every major tech company in the nation, including Google, Microsoft, Facebook, Yahoo, Twitter and Amazon. A New York Times editorial says: "Apple is doing the right thing. . . . If Apple is required to help the FBI in this case, courts could require it to use this software in future investigations or order it to create new software to fit new needs."

On the other side, federal prosecutors accuse Apple of using "false rhetoric" in response to a "modest" request that involves one phone and "invades no one's privacy." In its latest court filing last week, the Justice Department adds: "The government and the community need to know what is on the terrorist's phone, and the government needs Apple's assistance to find out." A court hearing on the dispute comes Tuesday in Riverside, Calif., a main city in San Bernardino County.

President says: "We're concerned about privacy. We don't want government to be looking through everybody's phones willy-nilly without any kind of oversight or probable cause or a clear sense that it's targeted at someone who might be a wrongdoer." – Barack Obama, March 12

Apple defender says: "We must not allow this dangerous precedent to be set. Today our freedom and our liberty is at stake." -- Jan Koum, chief executive of Whatsapp, a messaging service, and Facebook board member

Critic says: "A national, legislative solution is urgently needed. The line between privacy and security in our society should not be drawn unilaterally by two of the world's most powerful companies [Apple and Google] – especially when that line coincides with their own economic interests." – Cyrus Vance, Jr., district attorney (prosecutor) in Manhattan, New York City

Front Page Talking Points Archive

Common Core State Standard
SL.CCS.1/2/3/4 Grades 6-12: An essay of a current news event is provided for discussion to encourage participation, but also inspire the use of evidence to support logical claims using the main ideas of the article. Students must analyze background information provided about a current event within the news, draw out the main ideas and key details, and review different opinions on the issue. Then, students should present their own claims using facts and analysis for support.