# Should Apple help the government hack into encrypted devices? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [February 17, 2016, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-apple-help-the-government-hack-into-encrypted-devices/746333 "2016-02-17T13:20:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Showing post:** 210
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2016, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-apple-help-the-government-hack-into-encrypted-devices/746333/210 "2016-02-18T04:14:00Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > Is the following statement a fair summation of your beliefs as described in this thread: “There is no reason for the average law abiding citizen to be concerned if the federal government has free access to any and all personal information, either his/her own or anybody else’s”? Yes. > [@Stringbean](#): > > Your argument is trash, Smapti. You are wrong on the specifics of the government’s request by implying that _creating_ a new backdoor but only using it on this one phone will prevent the new backdoor from ever being used on a future phone. Apple is _not_ being asked to “create a new backdoor”. There’s no backdoor. Everything the court has ordered Apple to do can be done via the means Apple already possesses and uses to load software onto a phone. > [@](#): > > Which, of course, will end the moment the government subpoenas for access to another phone. Which you may be foolish enough to believe won’t happen but we all know it will, and soon at that. As it should, as often as is necessary to protect my life and yours. > [@](#): > > The point here is not that the government wants access to the key, they want Apple to MAKE THE LOCK, MAKE THE KEY, AND GIVE THEM THE KEY. Apple has already made the lock and the key. The government is asking them to use it and Apple is siding with the terrorists. > [@](#): > > You think there’s nothing wrong or worrisome with this request and actually believe the government will use this technology responsibly. Correct. > [@](#): > > I bet you fell hook, line, and sinker when James Clapper lied to us all about mass surveillance. He should be in jail and your type should open your eyes. He should be in jail for what? Doing the job he was appointed to do and had a legal obligation to do? --- _[View the full topic](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-apple-help-the-government-hack-into-encrypted-devices/746333)._