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Another poll shows the American people are siding with the FBI over Apple

Published Feb 26th, 2016 11:10AM EST
Apple vs. FBI Poll
Image: RT.com

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If you watched the Republican debate last night on CNN, you saw every potential presidential candidate tell Apple to comply with the FBI. It appears that in this instance, most Americans actually agree.

According to a new poll from market research firm Morning Consult, over half of American voters believe that Apple should assist the FBI by creating software to unlock the phone of one of the San Bernardino terrorists. All 1,935 respondents were thoroughly briefed on the subject before they gave a response.

DON’T MISS: Here’s Apple’s long-awaited legal response to the FBI

The results of the poll show that 51% of respondents believe that Apple should comply, while only 33% disagree. The other 16% either don’t know what the two groups should do or simply don’t care.

These numbers are nearly identical to those of an earlier poll from Pew Research Center, which showed 51% of respondents siding with the FBI and 38% siding with Apple. Morning Consult appears to have delved even deeper into the issue though, as the firm also notes that 54% of its respondents believe they would be less secure if Apple, Google or other tech companies were required to hand personal information over to the government. Nevertheless, they believe it’s necessary.

The most interesting aspect of the poll wasn’t a percentage, but rather an observation. After conducting the poll, Morning Consult determined that the greater of an understanding the individual had of the issue, the more likely they were to lean toward Apple’s side. With an issue this complex, education is vital.

Jacob Siegal
Jacob Siegal Associate Editor

Jacob Siegal is Associate Editor at BGR, having joined the news team in 2013. He has over a decade of professional writing and editing experience, and helps to lead our technology and entertainment product launch and movie release coverage.