John Crudele

John Crudele

 Business

How the FBI can make Apple a little more cooperative

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Published Feb. 22, 2016, 8:42 p.m. ET

This is a dilemma that even I can’t solve: Would I rather have my privacy invaded a little or run the risk of getting blown up by a terrorist?

Even if you wanted to, you couldn’t miss the latest controversy between Apple and the FBI. The FBI wants access to the iPhone that belonged to one of the San Bernardino shooting terrorists; the company says it won’t help.

On the one hand, I see Apple’s very valid point: Uncle Sam should not gain a master key that could undermine data security for all.

On the other hand, I also understand why it could be extremely useful if the FBI, Homeland Security or the National Security Agency were able to have ready access to messages that Syed Farook, who killed 14 and wounded 22, sent to even “badder” accomplices overseas.

I like my privacy. But I also prefer not to be blown up, shot or otherwise have my body parts rearranged because some terrorists think it’d be fun.

Farook and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, were blown away by the police before they could spill their password. So the FBI wants Apple to unlock the phone.

Apple says it can’t, won’t, doesn’t want to, and would rather not, cooperate. And so far it hasn’t. The company also says it could take years to break into the iPhone — that’s how good the built-in security is.

Any fan of TV dramas knows how this’ll end up: in court for a long, drawn-out fight that will ultimately end in some sort of arrangement by which both sides will save face.

I’m going to take the side of the government today, but only because it is the one doing the asking, and suggest a few means — outside of court — to make Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook a little more cooperative:

  • A publicity campaign against Apple. It’s an election year, so people are already primed for public policy debates. The Obama administration, if it really wants Apple to cooperate, should start taking out ads pressing its point.
  • Government contracts: I don’t know how much business Apple does with Washington or with companies that, in turn, do business with Uncle Sam, but those contracts could be, let’s say, re-examined.There’s nothing like a little pressure on a company’s stock price — through its very profitable government business, for example — to make a CEO a little bit more amenable.
  • Hiring some Apple workers: I’m betting that not everyone who works on the design of the Apple iPhone is on Cook’s side. Apple employees don’t want to be shot or blown up either. So, hire some key technicians for a lot of money and give them the task of writing the new software to help the FBI gain access to Farook’s iPhone 5C. And if Apple complains that this amounts to corporate espionage, shrug and tell Cook to sue.
  • Old phones: I’m guessing that, like the rest of us, the terrorists kept upgrading their phones. Farook and Malik were in the US long enough to have had several cellphone contracts. Find the old phones. Their evil friends were probably contacted through those less-secure phones as well.
  • And when all else fails, the government should subject Apple to an intrusive audit of its finances.

The IRS can do the financial equivalent of a proctology exam and then Apple will truly know something about invasion of privacy.