Reply to post: Re: No right to conceal information

Did the FBI engineer its iPhone encryption court showdown with Apple to force a precedent? Yes and no, say DoJ auditors

DuncanLarge Silver badge

Re: No right to conceal information

"A suspected criminal has no God given right to conceal information on their cellphone."

True. As god (should one exist) never gave any rights, ever. People gave people rights as they fought for freedom and the like and pressured Kings and Queens to sign documents stating they cant do this or that anymore etc.

So a suspected criminal does have a right to due process as given by the development of a (ideally) just system created over many years sometimes involving bloodshed and revolt.

This reminds me of the Stop and Search "powers" the UK police got. Where basically they can stop you and search you in the street. To do so they technically MUST be able to state WHY they suspect YOU as being a criminal (specifically a terrorist) or in posession of something that would be an offence, yet the UK police went ahead and stopped just about anyone they liked, wanking themselves off with their new power.

They would stop photographers taking photos on public land, where you are legally allowed to take such photos no matter who may also be in them (although commercial use requires a release form). They would search the cameras and sometimes DELETE the photos. This was a criminal act in itself. The reason you were stopped and had your photos criminally deleted? "You are male and there are kids about","You look like you are from another country and could be a terrorist".

Imagine if they could do this to your phone on the street? Devices are currently marketed to the police that can be plugged into your phone and if successful make a backup of your devices contents, on the street. How much easier it would be if they could have Apple give out a universal cracker tool, to be used on the street, for any reason by a cop that has had a bad day and dont like your accent.

Why not let them do it on a whim?

Here is why we should make it harder. Criminals exist even in the highest places and if they can crack your phone, especially on the street when they fancy, we will see more of this:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5406637/Inside-story-blackmail-cops-caught-one-own.html

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