Maricopa county attorney cancels official iPhone orders in protest

The Verge ^ | February 24, 2016 01:53 pm | By Russell Brandom

[Swordmaker]

Apple's legal fight with the FBI has made the company very unpopular with some law enforcement groups, and that's now beginning to translate to office budgets. In a memo sent to staff on Sunday, the Maricopa County attorney's office announced it would no longer purchase iPhones for its employees, in direct response to Apple's legal fight. The county attorney will also decline to upgrade or replace official iPhones that are currently in use. In a statement explaining the move, county attorney Bill Montgomery said the current legal fight "puts Apple on the side of the terrorists instead of on the side of public safety."

The number of iPhones involved is trivial, but the move suggests that law enforcement hostility towards Apple may be more persistent than many expected. Last week, Republican frontrunner Donald Trump suggested a boycott of Apple products until the company complies, although it's unclear if the Maricopa County move is related. Polls have been split as to whether the public supports Apple on the issue. Best known as the home of controversial sheriff Joe Arpaio, Maricopa County is often an outlier in law enforcement matters, adopting more sophisticated tactics than most local departments while drawing outsized criticism from civil liberties groups.

[Swordmaker]

I just read some blather article about how to compel them would be slavery. Well, we drafted people during times of war and have ordered private companies to do things to aid wartime. It is not unprecedented. Islamic terrorism is a huge threat, a war of sorts, and this is being over dramatized by some who are probably just scared their Apple stock my be affected.

Excuse me, we are not at war. Even when we were at war, the US Government let contracts which companies bid on. The government did not FORCE them to bid. They did so voluntarily. Roosevelt tried to NATIONALIZE some industries, if I recall correctly, the steel industry and a labor union, and was slapped down by the Supreme Court for the attempt, who told him that even a WAR effort was insufficient reason for such a egregious unconstitutional act.

[M-cubed]

something tells me you think you’re a wit......Well, at least your 1/2 right....

[BigBobber]

I have been watching videos of "The FBI Files" about many cases dating back from the 70's to the 90's. Without "violation of privacy" such as wiretaps and bugging and such, the mafia would still run New York and Chicago.

You're watching a little too much TV there partner. Get out and enjoy your life.

I like my chances against common criminals a lot better than against a despotic government. Try reading up on the totalitarian governments of the twentieth century that murdered tens of millions if you really want to get scared.

Nothing Apple is doing is preventing lawful wiretaps and "bugging". And the authorities already know every number called or received by the terrorists.

[palmer]

If the government wants to spy on you, they have zillions of other ways to do it.

True and that's why the FBI does not need to demand the destruction of Apple's security.

[palmer]

However, notice that it does order Apple to give the fruits of their creative labor TO the FBI and even specifies how it's to be delivered

It's even worse than that. FBI is demanding that Apple build them a sledge hammer that the FBI, and every other government who wants to, can use to destoy one of Apple's best achievements, bullet-proof security for data behind a locked phone.

[Eric Pode of Croydon]

The horse is out of the barn, though. There will be effectively unbreakable crypto on phones and tablets in the near future for all those who want it, and millions do.

Law enforcement at all levels had best get used to it.

[John O]

islamic terrorism is NOT the problem, and fighting islamic terrorism will never end this war.

islam is the problem. The only way to end the war is to deport or execute every last moslem in these United States. (and never let any more in)

Breaking Apple’s security does nothing to solve the case. If the perp is a moslem that is enough info to know that it is an enemy of these United States and is sworn to kill rape and destroy us. Execute it.

[dila813]

Why don’t they put software on the phones to give them a backdoor if they aren’t personal phones?

The iphone in question was a government phone, if they put that on the employee phones, this would be a non-issue.

It isn’t Apple’s fault or responsibility to provide admin of their hardware and software.

[generally]

I respectfully disagree. 2 points.

1. This is about invasion of everyone’s privacy. It is like saying, some people are criminals and use their cars to commit criminal acts, therefore we are going to put trackers on everyone’s cars.

2. This is a false argument. Basically the government is saying “The only way we fight crime/terrorism is by getting access to everything on everyone’s phone.” Really? That’s like a teenager telling his parents that the only way he can get to school is if they buy him a new car.

It’s not about Apple. It’s not about keeping us safe. It’s about snooping into our personal lives.

[Eagles6]

http://qz.com/332059/apple-is-reportedly-giving-the-chinese-government-access-to-its-devices-for-a-security-assessment/

[itsahoot]

I was not on either ship.

Me either, but on my second deployment I guess it was 66 we passed the Joy and the Maddox, coming home from the incident, on our way to Tonkin.

USS Taluga AO 62
Fueling Carrier