Why This California Democrat Backs the FBI Over Apple

Fortune ^ | March 10, 2016 | by Philip Elmer-DeWitt

[Swordmaker]

Silicon Valley executives who threw their support to Apple in its standoff with the FBI may be surprised to see their senior U.S. senator, Diane Feinstein, co-sponsoring a bill that would force Apple to comply with the bureau’s court order.

They shouldn’t be.

Feinstein, the highest ranking Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, is one of the National Security Agency’s best friends in Washington.

After Edward Snowden’s 2013 revelations of NSA mass surveillance, Feinstein came to the spy agency’s defense, calling Snowden a “traitor” and writing legislation that would establish a legal framework for the NSA’s surveillance program.

Her FISA Improvements Act met fierce opposition. Republicans on the Intelligence Committee complained that it would “codify the government’s authority to collect the phone records of huge numbers of law-abiding Americans, and also to conduct warrantless searches for individual Americans’ phone calls and emails.”

The American Civil Liberties Union and the Electronic Frontier Foundation were among 54 public interest groups urging opposition. The ACLU called it a “dream come true for the NSA.” The EFF called it a “fake fix” that would “permanently entrench” invasive surveillance practices.

Among its loopholes, according to critics, was a “backdoor search provision” that would give domestic U.S. law enforcement agencies warrantless access to the data collected by the NSA.

Wisconsin Republican Sen. Jim Sensenbrenner, co-sponsor of the USA Freedom Act that required warrants for such searches, called Feinstein’s bill an effort “for the first time in our country’s history to allow unrestrained spying on the American people.”

[Swordmaker]

U.S. senator Diane Feinstein is co-sponsoring a bill that would force Apple to comply with the bureau’s court order. — PING!

Apple v. FBI
Ping!

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[jessduntno]

But, of course, the massive searches have nothing whatsoever to do with the FBI terror case.

You must own a lot of stock!

[CMailBag]

There are two FBIs, the ordinary FBI and the Obama FBI.

[IllumiNaughtyByNature]

It will be WAAAY more fun when the tomato pickers get taxed harder after Apple moves HQ to Texas or Tenn.

[svcw]

Stay strong Apple, stay strong.

[Enlightened1]

Apple has already given the FBI the information they are asking for in other cases.

So then why does the FBI, and the media pretend this is not the case?

It’s theatrrics so the FBI can LEGALLY bypass that pesky law when it wants to in order to “protect” you.

[phs3]

FISA should cover this. But how stupid are we? We should have allowed the posturing of Apple to stand. Give the terrorists a false sense of security

[jessduntno]

“It’s theatrrics so the FBI can LEGALLY bypass that pesky law when it wants to in order to “protect” you.”

Nonsense. Apple picked this fight. As you said, they went along until they got the right high profile case that would get all the tin hats going at the same time. Well played, Timmy!

[blowfish]

She’s been one of the surveillance community’s biggest fangirls for years. She’s a nasty piece of work.

[Oliver Boliver Butt]

Why would I be surprised that liberals want to trample our Constitutional rights? No love lost between me and Apple but they are right. The Feds can shove it.

[vette6387]

Fineswine can't die soon enough. She's done San Francisco, California and the entire USA inestimable damage all the while she's enabled her third husband, Richard Blum the means to get sinfully rich feeding at the government trough.

[DoughtyOne]

[Enlightened1]

Ahhh another jackboot control freak chimes in to speak.

FBI started this fight by ignoring the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights they swore to uphold.

[jessduntno]

“Ahhh another jackboot control freak chimes in to speak.”

I get that a lot. It must be the goddam boots give it away. Sit up straight.

[Enlightened1]

Boot lickers that live on their knees are weak minded people.

History teaches us they that they all will eventually fall and they fall forever. LOL!

[jessduntno]

“Boot lickers that live on their knees are weak minded people.”

Strong back, good knees and cross word puzzles. I’m good. Thanks for your concern. History teaches you? Huh. How is History? I always thought it was a good teacher, but, I gotta tell you, I never would have guessed that you learned a freaking thing. But I’ll take your word for it. I’m that kinda guy. See, for history to be of value, something has to have happened, not history if its really just the boogie man living under your bed making you afraid. Don’t worry, you’ll be OK. If you get into any legal trouble, be reassured that the 4th amendment will help you out.

[Mark17]

F the government.

[Enlightened1]

"A really efficient totalitarian state would be one in which the all-powerful executive of political bosses and their army of managers control a population of slaves who do not have to be coerced, because they love their servitude." ― Aldous Huxley, Brave New World You LOVE your servitude don't you???

[Enlightened1]