Apple: Privacy vs. Safety (A)

In 2015, Apple CEO Tim Cook debuted the iPhone 6S with enhanced security measures that enflamed a debate on privacy and public safety around the world. The iPhone 6S, amid a heightened concern for privacy following the 2013 revelation of clandestine U.S. surveillance programs, employed a default encryption system that prevented both Apple and government authorities from accessing data stored on the device. Law enforcement officials warned that the encryption hindered investigations for criminal cases and international terrorism and called on Apple to build a backdoor, a way to bypass the encryption. But Cook maintained that any backdoor would compromise customers' privacy and security. In 2016, a federal judge ordered Apple to provide technical assistance to unlock the iPhone used by one of the two mass shooters who killed 14 people in San Bernardino, California. Apple refused to comply with the order and asked the government to withdraw its demand. This refusal highlighted Apple’s stated policy of supporting consumer privacy. Meanwhile, in China, Apple removed various VPN apps from Apple’s Chinese App Store. This action elicited strong negative responses from civil rights activists and members of the U.S. government. In 2019, Apple again faced criticism for removing the HKmap.live app from the App Store, which had been used by protestors in Hong Kong. As these situations unfolded, Cook considered his responsibilities to global governments as well as to Apple's customers, employees, and shareholders.