It’s easy to say you’re generally in favor of privacy. It gets more tricky when you’re called upon to argue in favor of the right to privacy for terrorists. That’s the issue at stake in Apple’s refusal to create software to give the FBI access to the iPhone owned by the San Bernardino shooter. Why is Apple so opposed to creating a backdoor to give law enforcement access to one iPhone? Apple CEO Tim Cook explains: “While the government may argue that its use would be limited to this case, there is no way to guarantee such control.” It’s easy to cheer for Apple (as the tech community is doing) or to rip them (like many politicians and law enforcement officials have done). Ultimately, this decision shouldn’t be left up to a corporation or a law enforcement agency. It’s up to us. Tim Cook should resist. The FBI should push. And we should decide.

+ Cook called for a public discussion of the issue and explained his position in an open letter to customers: “In the wrong hands, this software — which does not exist today — would have the potential to unlock any iPhone in someone’s physical possession.”

+ “If the FBI comes across a safe in that house, the warrant and permission do not mean it can force the company that manufactures the safe to create a special tool for opening its safes, especially a tool that would make other safes completely useless as secure storage. That’s the situation that Apple’s dealing with here.” Gizmodo: Why you should care about Apple’s fight with the FBI.

+ Digg provides some background on the encryption issue.