Apple Supporters Hold Rally At Santa Monica Store
SANTA MONICA (CBSLA.com/AP) — As the battle between Apple and the U.S. government continues over whether the tech giant should help the FBI access a locked phone as part of a terrorism investigation, Apple's supporters are rallying at Southland stores.
Apple has said it will resist a court order to help the FBI unlock an encrypted iPhone used by one of the perpetrators of the San Bernardino terror attack that killed 14.
The company says it does not want to open a so-called backdoor that would allow the government to access Apple customers' information on a wide scale.
"We are challenging the FBI's demands with the deepest respect for American democracy and a love of our country," Apple CEO Tim Cook said in a statement. "While we believe the FBI's intentions are good, it would be wrong for the government to force us to build a backdoor into our products ... Ultimately, we fear that this demand would undermine the very freedoms and liberty our government is meant to protect."
The government is hoping to enforce the court order under an 18th century law, the 1789 All Writs Act, which has been used to compel companies to provide assistance to law enforcement in investigations.
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The debate has deeply divided customers on both sides of the issue.
A handful of Apple supporters gathered at the Apple store in Santa Monica to voice their support for the company. One woman carried a sign that read, "Don't break our phones."
"It was an absolute tragedy, but we can't let that tragedy cloud our judgment when it comes to not just civil liberties but also the safety of hundreds of millions of people," said Aki Rose, an organizer of the rally.
"It's the same reason we give terrorists Miranda rights and we give people the right to a fair trial," said Grant Harris, another Apple supporter. "It's because you can't just throw out the bad people and say we're going to treat them differently."
Others said they support the government.
"The greater good would be to protect people from these violent acts, and sharing information," said Apple customer Katherine Gaffney. "If it come to that, I don't have that much to hide. I'm not afraid of 'Big Brother.' "
Still, the issue is complex and not easy to decide, some customers said.
""It's not black or white," said Apple customer Bruce Ozga.
Rallies were also scheduled at the Grove and at least five other Apple locations in California. Other rallies were scheduled nationally and internationally, too.
Apple is challenging government efforts to overcome encryption on at least 14 electronic devices nationwide in addition to the iPhone in California, according to court papers filed Tuesday in a similar case in New York.
Since 2008, Apple has helped the government retrieve information from at least 70 devices, the Associated Press reported. Those phones used operating software designed earlier than the iPhone now in question. A physical tool could extract data from those phones. But since late 2014, that capability has not existed on newer phones.
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