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Day 6

Apple encryption showdown: Has the US government overstepped its boundaries?

Apple CEO Tim Cook sparked a widespread debate about encryption and data privacy this week when he defied a court order to help the FBI hack an iPhone tied to December's shootings in San Bernadino, California. Brent speaks to an internet, tech and privacy lawyer about the court decision's broader legal implications, and the impact it might have in Canada.
CBC Radio ·
Apple announced this week that it will not comply with a federal court order to develop software that would enable the FBI to break into an iPhone. (Johannes Eisele/AFP/Getty Images)
Day 69:53Apple encryption showdown: Has the US government overstepped its boundaries?

Edward Snowden is calling it the "most important tech case in a decade."

Apple CEO Tim Cook openly defied a court order requested by the FBI this week, calling it a "chilling" threat to Americans' civil liberty and personal security.

As Associated Press reporter Tami Abdollah tells Brent, the court order would force Apple to develop brand-new technology to help the FBI break into the locked iPhone 5c of Syed Rizwan Farook, one of the shooters responsible for December's attack in San Bernardino, California.

It's been described as a powerful "master key" that could be used to unlock countless devices. And it's fuelling a fierce global debate about the role of encryption in a free society. 

David Fraser is an internet, technology and privacy lawyer and the author of the 'Canadian Privacy Law Blog.' He joins Brent for a conversation about the court decision's broader legal implications — and the impact it might have here in Canada.

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