Why Are Apple's Competitors Staying Silent On the iPhone Unlocking Fight?

erier2003 writes: A court order forcing Apple to help the FBI access a terrorism suspect's iPhone has drawn responses from leading tech companies, newspaper editorial boards, and security experts. But one major faction is staying largely silent: the computer and smartphone manufacturers who compete with Apple for business and could be subject to similar orders in the future if the company loses its high-profile case. Silicon Valley software firms have universally backed Apple in its fight against the Justice Department, which won a ruling Tuesday from a California magistrate judge compelling Apple to design custom software to bypass security features on an iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino shooters. But Apple's hardware competitors are staying on the sidelines.

Comments

Finally the debate is here

[NotInHere]

Finally we have a debate on whether or whether not the state should have access to people's personal data. This is what snowden wanted, his goal is reached.

Re:Finally the debate is here

[MacTO]

I'm not sure what Snowden wants in cases like this, because it is about evidence collected after a crime was committed. It isn't terribly different from a court demanding paper documentation.

The big concern, and the concern which ties into Snowden's revelations, is that US government agencies have proven untrustworthy. If Apple, Google, Microsoft, etc. fulfill this presumably legitimate request, they may find themselves fulfilling requests for surveillance purposes or disclosing information that these agencies can use to engineer their own solutions for surveillance purposes.

Re:Finally the debate is here

[PopeRatzo]

I'm not sure what Snowden wants in cases like this, because it is about evidence collected after a crime was committed. It isn't terribly different from a court demanding paper documentation.

It's completely different. It's not about demanding paper documentation, it's about demanding that a company crack a code. The gov't can make me open my door, but they can't make me invent a new way of opening doors.

Re:Finally the debate is here

[Anonymous Coward]

While it's a US only debate, it will still have long term repercussions. Apple won't be able to sell their phones abroad to governments or serious bizmen. Only as a toy phone, playing the latest and greatest Angry birds or Clash of clans.
American hw and sw is already a hard sell outside of US.

Ask the software guys.

[0100010001010011]

asked phone manufacturers LG, Samsung, and Sony and computer manufacturers Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, and Lenovo (which also owns phone manufacturer Motorola) whether they agreed with the government or Apple in the unfolding legal battle.

None of them also make the OS, they're just the hardware guys. The FBI is asking for a software backdoor.

Google (those guys behind Android) has stood by Apple

Re:Ask the software guys.

[jonbryce]

It would be Samsung, not Google, that would have to bake a custom ROM in similar circumstances.

Re: Looks kind of bad

[Anonymous Coward]

There is a backdoor if the device is capable of installing new firmware without unlocking (or destroying the encryption keys) first.

The Early Bird May Get the Worm...

[Irate Engineer]

...but it's the second mouse that gets the cheese.

They are watching Apple to see if they get hammered by the DOJ or win business due to not selling out their customer's privacy.

Re:Really?

[FlyHelicopters]

To many non-tech people, Apple's stance is bordering on treason.

That is only because most people like to have opinions on things they know nothing about.

I cannot begin to tell you how many non-pilots have strong opinions about aviation, helicopters, and all things flying, while having no idea whatsoever what they are talking about (I'm a professional pilot with commercial and instrument ratings in both airplanes and helicopters, a certified flight instructor in both airplanes and helicopters, with thousands of hours of flight time and over 2,000 hours of dual instruction given). Yet whenever major aviation stuff is in the news, they all like to talk like somehow they have a clue.

Re:Really?

[Anonymous Coward]

Hence the tweet:

"Simple security rule of thumb: don't build encryption for how the world is today, but how it could be if Donald Trump were President." from Aaron Levie, CEO of Box

This is simple

[slashmydots]

Is WinZip responsible for cracking passwords that their customers' set on their zip files? No! That's their product and that's what their product does. It's a security and privacy product so naturally the company doesn't "hold the keys" or put in a backdoor. All cellphone makers should leave encryption in the hands of the customer and tell the FBI to fuck off.