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Google CEO Sundar Pichai has defended Apple in their opposition to the FBI’s demand to make an iOS backdoor, saying that forcing companies to enable the US government to easily “hack” their products could “compromise users’ privacy.”
Google had previously been called out by NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden, who said that Pichai’s silence regarding the encryption debate taking place yesterday meant that “Google [had] picked a side, but it’s not the public’s.” However, in a series of tweets Pichai has now stated that he is firmly on Apple’s side in the case.
Take a look at Pichai’s tweets below:
1/5 Important post by @tim_cook. Forcing companies to enable hacking could compromise users’ privacy
— sundarpichai (@sundarpichai) February 17, 2016
2/5 We know that law enforcement and intelligence agencies face significant challenges in protecting the public against crime and terrorism
— sundarpichai (@sundarpichai) February 17, 2016
3/5 We build secure products to keep your information safe and we give law enforcement access to data based on valid legal orders
— sundarpichai (@sundarpichai) February 17, 2016
4/5 But that’s wholly different than requiring companies to enable hacking of customer devices & data. Could be a troubling precedent
— sundarpichai (@sundarpichai) February 17, 2016
5/5 Looking forward to a thoughtful and open discussion on this important issue
— sundarpichai (@sundarpichai) February 17, 2016
Pichai’s comments come after Tim Cook posted an open letter on Apple’s official site, revealing that the US government had demanded that Apple provides them with a way of easily unlocking users’ iPhones. In court documents we detailed yesterday, the US government told Apple to provide the FBI with the means to effectively break into the company’s iOS operating system, with these requests being made as a result of the San Bernardino shooting.
The case is a landmark moment for the tech industry, with Tim Cook’s decision to make the government’s demands public garnering widespread praise. Receiving the backing of Google’s CEO will be welcomed by Apple though it’s uncertain what lies in store for our privacy.
