14 DAY TRIAL // Today, Apple’s CEO Tim Cook has commented on the latest accusations coming from the FBI, reiterating that the company doesn’t intend to hack the iPhone used by the San Bernardino terrorists and asking the government to give up on its demands.
General Michael Hayden, who is the former head of the NSA and the CIA, has released his very own remarks regarding this case, explaining that, although he usually takes the side of the government, Apple should not be forced to break into an iPhone.
Specifically, Hayden has confirmed Tim Cook’s warnings that hacking an iPhone could create additional risks for users in the United States as software used to break into the device might actually be used by both good and bad guys.
“When you step back and look at the whole question of American security and safety writ large, we are a safer, more secure nation without back doors. A lot of other people would take advantage of it,” he is quoted as saying by USA Today.
Criticism of the current FBI direction
What’s more surprising is that Hayden has also criticized the strategy of the current FBI director Jim Corney, who has attacked Apple several times in the last few days and has also pushed for backdoors built into phones sold in the United States since late 2015.
“In this specific case, I’m trending toward the government, but I’ve got to tell you in general I oppose the government’s effort, personified by FBI Director Jim Comey. Jim would like a back door available to American law enforcement in all devices globally. And, frankly, I think on balance that actually harms American safety and security, even though it might make Jim’s job a bit easier in some specific circumstances,” Hayden said.
Apple has already stated that it has no intention of breaking into this iPhone, but at the same time, the FBI does not want to give up on its demands either. Cupertino wants a government commission to look into the matter and start discussions with both sides, but with no one willing to give up at this moment, the dispute is likely to become a long-time techno-political soap opera.