When the controversy over Apple's refusal to comply with a judge's order to break into an iPhone used by a suspected terrorist at the San Bernardino massacre first erupted, there was a deafening silence in the Silicon Valley. However, that seems of have changed now, as various tech giants have come under an umbrella to protest against the government's move to compel technology companies to offer backdoor access to their client's data.
As support has been pouring in from Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, Facebook and Twitter to their rival Apple's cause, it seems that the Silicon Valley is finally gearing up for a face-off with the US government. While none of the above mentioned tech titans have offered individual support to Apple or its CEO Tim Cook, the Reform Government Surveillance (RGS), a group of tech companies including Apple, have finally taken a stand on the issue The Verge reported.
The RGS has made it known to the government that they are not willing to accept the government's demands to hack into their clients' devices and data. According to the organization it would set a precedent globally for the police and law enforcement agencies to force technology companies help them obtain secure data from any individual's computer or smartphone.
At the same time, the tech giants have sent a silent message to their clients assuring them that they would not do anything that would violate the security of their devices or data. A statement issued by RGS said that though it is vital to dissuade terrorists and criminals and also to assist the law enforcement agencies, technology companies should not be asked to build in "back doors" to technologies, which ensure that their users' information is kept secure, IB Times stated.
The RGS is a coalition comprising 10 major U.S. technology companies, including Google, Apple, Microsoft, Yahoo, Facebook, Dropbox, Twitter, LinkedIn, Evernote, and AOL.
Last Tuesday, U.S. District Court judge in Los Angeles Sheri Pym directed that Apple ought to provide "reasonable technical assistance" to FBI investigators trying to unlock the data on an iPhone 5c, which was reportedly owned by Sayed Rizwan Farook, a killer in the San Bernardino massacre. In fact, Judge Pym granted Apple five days to submit an appeal against the order and the Cupertino tech giant is very likely to do that.
Precisely speaking, the FBI wants Apple to develop a customized iOS version that would enable the investigators to input unlimited guesses with a view to unlock to the passcode, but not trigger a mechanism that would erase the data from the iPhone after 10 inaccurate guesses.
Watch the video clip on "Apple vs. the FBI: A Closer Look - Late Night with Seth Meyers" below: