Microsoft, Google, Facebook Back Apple in Blocked Phone Case
Notice how the headline makes sure to specify "over terrorist's phone" and not "over user privacy" or "against federal conscription by the FBI."<p>Take a second and re-read the headline. What does it say? To me, it spells out Microsoft joins Apple to back terrorist's privacy against the FBI.<p>The government couldn't have chosen a better case to publicize in search of a precedent in their favor. And the media isn't helping.<p>Edit: In case it wasn't clear, I think it's actually disingenuous to mention the word "terrorist" in the headline at all. Nothing about why Apple is resisting (which is the crux of this news cycle) has to do with the fact that they are, bizarrely, fighting for <i>this</i> (dead) user (who is undeniably a madman murderer and potentially a terrorist)'s right to privacy.<p>Microsoft, Apple, Facebook, and everyone here in the comments isn't defending <i>this</i> person's right to privacy. It's 100% about the principle and the precedent and it's a million times about the future users and nothing to do with this horrible person. For that reason, it's unfair (in fact, you could call it purposeful misrepresentation) to say that they are against the FBI unlocking "terrorist's phone" or defending the "terrorist's privacy" in any way. What they are doing, if one excludes self-interest, is protecting the principle for everyone else out there.