As Apple’s war with the FBI over digital privacy comes to a head, the public opinion appears to be swinging rapidly in Apple’s favor.
According to The Guardian, security experts gathered at the RSA Conference in San Francisco this week believe that the government’s attempts to undermine digital security are “misguided” and could lead us on a “path to hell.”
DON’T MISS: Apple asks the FBI: How hard did you really try to hack into the iPhone?
Seeking a middle ground with the RSA attendees, U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch said that technology companies could break the country’s “social compact” if they don’t work with the government in this case.
“Do we let one company, no matter how great the company, no matter how beautiful their devices, decide this issue for all of us?” she pleaded.
“The path to hell starts with the backdoor,” said Microsoft’s general counsel, Brad Smith, in clear opposition to the message that Lynch was trying to send. He implored the rest of the security community to “stand up with Apple in this important case” as everyone searches for a reasonable compromise that wouldn’t put everyone’s privacy at risk.
“Some of their policy proposals, like weakening encryption, are so misguided as to boggle the mind,” added RSA president Amit Yoran.
Whether or not Apple will be forced to comply remains to be seen, but just days ago, one federal judge ruled that Apple should not have to assist the Justice Department in the ongoing investigation.
