Microsoft founder Gates backs FBI in encryption fight with Apple
Published February 23, 2016 FoxNews.com
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The clash between Apple and FBI heats up
Microsoft founder Bill Gates has broken with other Silicon Valley giants by backing the FBI in its battle with Apple over hacking into a locked iPhone as part of the investigation into last December’s San Bernardino terror attack.
In an interview with the Financial Times published Tuesday, Gates said a court order requiring Apple to help the FBI access a work phone belonging to gunman Syed Farook was “ a specific case where the government is asking for access to information. They are not asking for some general thing, they are asking for a particular case.â€
Gates went on to compare the FBI request to accessing bank and telephone records. However, he added that the government must be subject to rules about when it can access such information.
I hope that we have that debate so that the safeguards are built and so people do not opt, and this will be country by country. [to say] it is better that the government does not have access to any information. Gates said.
The San Bernardino County-issued iPhone 5C was used by Farook, who with his wife, Tashfeen Malik, killed 14 people at an office holiday party in December before they died in a gun battle with police. The government said they had been at least partly inspired by ISIS.
This is called a "Appeal to authority" fallacy. Bill Gates has no standing to have an opinion more than any other individual, he's retired from Microsoft, but his fortune would be increased by any improvement in the competitive environment if Apple were taken down a peg or two.
I am curious what his take would be if Farook had been using a County Issued Windows Phone?