Today, Apple filed a motion to fight a California judge’s order that requires the company to create a back door to defeat the security features on the iPhone. Apple argued the judge had overstepped her authority and that the FBI’s demands would force the company to write a new “GovOS” to facilitate the hacking of phones.
In response, ACT | The App Association Executive Director Morgan Reed released the following statement:
It’s not just about GovOS. It’s about thousands of insecure GovApps that the government will force app companies to create in the future.
In their action against Apple, the Department of Justice establishes a precedent that would allow it to compel software modification, forcing any company to re-engineer its code to provide government access and undermine the trust of its customers. The ubiquity of software in our lives underscores the alarming scope of government’s attempted overreach in this case.
Small software companies make most of the apps we use on our smartphones everyday. Consumers trust app makers to safeguard their most personal information – how much money they have in the bank, what medications they’ve been prescribed, even who they’re chatting with on a dating app. Through privacy policies and security features like encryption, app companies set contractual agreements to keep their customers’ private data safe.
ACT | The App Association stands with Apple. We are deeply concerned that the government’s request charts a dangerous path that would have a grave impact on app makers, and a chilling effect on innovation. As Apple rightfully began its motion today, this case is not about one isolated iPhone.