President IWonPenPhone argues that any mobile device should, of course, always be accessible to Big Brother The State.
AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) – U.S. President Barack Obama on Friday made a passionate case for mobile devices to be built in such a way as to allow government to gain access to personal data if needed to prevent a terrorist attack or enforce tax laws.
Speaking at the South by Southwest festival in Texas, Obama said he could not comment on the legal case in which the FBI is trying to force Apple Inc. to allow access to an iPhone linked to San Bernardino, California, shooter Rizwan Farook.
But he made clear that, despite his commitment to Americans’ privacy and civil liberties, a balance was needed to allow some intrusion when needed.
“The question we now have to ask is: If technologically it is possible to make an impenetrable device or system where the encryption is so strong that there is no key, there’s no door at all, then how do we apprehend the child pornographer, how do we solve or disrupt a terrorist plot?” he said.
“What mechanisms do we have available to even do simple things like tax enforcement because if in fact you can’t crack that at all, government can’t get in, then everybody is walking around with a Swiss bank account in their pocket.”
How will future Presidents be able to punish their political enemies through the IRS without a backdoor into everyone’s person, house, papers, and effects?
“I can’t comment about the case, but let me say this about the case…”
I wish God had made stupidity like this hurt.
He’s hoping people will hear “terrorism” and miss the “tax enforcement” bit. For the record, most tax enforcement is civil, not criminal.
Out: “A chicken in every pot and a car in every garage!”
In: “A microphone in every room!”
For the record, most tax enforcement is civil, not criminal.
For the moment.
So, the same government that can’t produce a few hundred emails without months of effort and millions of dollars, and multiple claims of crashed and destroyed hard drives, somehow now thinks there is no undo burden on Apple to break encryption on their smart phones.
Meanwhile, Edward Snowden pops up to say that the NSA can indeed crack this encryption.
I’m sure that Obama (in a page out of “House of Cards”) wants some stupid FISA judge to give the FBI access to NSA technology that they are prohibited by law from using.
Because when the law doesn’t allow the government to use government technology, you force the “private sector” to do it for you.
then everybody is walking around with a Swiss bank account in their pocket
He says that like it’s a bad thing.