Apple announces opposition to cybersecurity bill ahead of Senate vote

Posted:
in General Discussion edited October 2015
Apple, one of the staunchest opponents of U.S. government efforts to conduct digital surveillance on its public, on Tuesday publicly denounced the efficacy of the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act, or CISA, just days before the bill goes up for vote in the Senate.




In a statement provided to The Washington Post, Apple reiterated concerns that initiatives like CISA undermine basic public privacy rights.

"We don't support the current CISA proposal," Apple said. "The trust of our customers means everything to us and we don't believe security should come at the expense of their privacy."

Apple's efforts mirror those of other tech giants like Google, Facebook and Yahoo, which spoke out against CISA through a trade group called the Computer and Communications Industry Association, as well as individual firms Yelp, reddit, Twitter and the Wikimedia Foundation.

Apple and its CEO Tim Cook have on multiple occasions challenged government snooping operations, saying strong encryption policies without exceptions for law enforcement are the only way to ensure a totally secure environment. The company introduced such encryption practices in iOS 8 and continues to implement safeguards in iOS 9. Apple today informed a federal court that it is incapable of extracting data from locked devices running iOS 8 and iOS 9.

Earlier this month, Cook discussed data privacy at length on NPR's "All Things Considered," saying that strong encryption is a key tenet for Apple.

Proponents of CISA, like co-sponsor Diane Feinstein (D-Calif.), claim the legislation is not an attempt to surveil Americans, but is instead meant to help companies share information pertinent to cyber threats. Personal user data does not figure into the equation, Feinstein said.

But CISA has its fair share of opponents in Washington, including Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) who characterized the bill as dealing more with surveillance than security.

"Sharing information about cybersecurity threats is a worthy goal," said Wyden. "Yet if you share more information without strong privacy protections, millions of Americans will say, 'That is not a cybersecurity bill. It is a surveillance bill.'"

According to the report, CISA supporters estimate the initiative has enough steam to win approval with about 70 votes in the Senate. The bill will go to vote next Tuesday.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 23
    sergiozsergioz Posts: 338member
    Good!
  • Reply 2 of 23
    danoxdanox Posts: 2,804member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by SergioZ View Post



    Good!



    BAD!!!!

  • Reply 3 of 23

    https://randpaul.com/issue/ending-nsa-spying

     

    If topics like this matter to you, volunteer and/or donate today.

  • Reply 4 of 23
    danox wrote: »

    BAD!!!!
    How so? Please tell how Apple opposing unlawful and illegal government spying is bad?
  • Reply 5 of 23
    Originally Posted by Danox View Post

    BAD!!!!

     

    Get bent, totalitarian.

     

    ...

     

    That’s... no, that’s not a personal attack.

     

    Originally Posted by libertyforall View Post

    Rand Paul 2016.  

     

    Only if he was more like his father. He’s trending neocon these days.

  • Reply 6 of 23
    rob53rob53 Posts: 3,241member

    This vote just shows how underinformed everyone in Washington DC is. All they see is the ability to locate that elusive terrorist instead of looking in the mirror to see the biggest terrorist of them all, the US basement government terrorist organizations. Over the last many years our own government has been the reason why terrorist organizations have grown around the world. If we would just try and get along with others instead of trying to dictate to everyone how things should be, we might be able to have a bit more peace than we have now and other countries might simply leave us alone. Of course, this will never work because of all the multi-national companies who depend on raping every country of their natural resources so they can make more money. The citizens of the US aren't the problem, it continues to be our government and this bill proves it. Our government could care less about it's "people", you know the ones in our constitution, and only about big business and their desire to rule the world. This kind of bill just makes me sick.

  • Reply 7 of 23
    slurpyslurpy Posts: 5,382member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by libertyforall View Post

     

    Rand Paul 2016.  

     

    Word.  

     

    https://randpaul.com/issue/ending-nsa-spying

     

    If topics like this matter to you, volunteer and/or donate today.  


     

    Really? I mean...really?

     

    What's up with Rand (and Ron before him) Paul supporters shoving him down people's throats randomly, everywhere? It's awkward. Sorry, he doesn't have a shred of a chance at the whitehouse, so do yourself a favor and invest your time in something more worthwhile. 

  • Reply 8 of 23
    jkichlinejkichline Posts: 1,369member
    Am I the only one who sees strong encryption as an extension of the second amendment? If you are under threat of a domestic or international threat to yourself or personal property, you should have the right to defend yourself. In this case, strong encryption is your defense against cyber terrorism, identity theft, what have you.

    These bills are coming from the same republican congress that will do anything for our right to own guns and carry them. Why would you remove that protection from everyone and make everyone weak in the process? Especially considering China's rise in global cyber warfare?

    You should have a right to defend your hardware, software and data with encryption and protect your home, family and person with weapons. Period.
  • Reply 9 of 23
    apple ][apple ][ Posts: 9,233member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by libertyforall View Post

     

    Rand Paul 2016.  

     

    Word.  

     

    https://randpaul.com/issue/ending-nsa-spying

     

    If topics like this matter to you, volunteer and/or donate today.  




    Even though I might agree with him on an issue or two, he has no shot. I'm all in for Trump.:smokey:

  • Reply 10 of 23
    Harold Finch likes this.
  • Reply 11 of 23
    irnchrizirnchriz Posts: 1,616member
    We need secure encryption, look at the data being stolen at present through hacks imagine how worse it can be if a back door is added and eventually discovered by hackers/terrorists/governments.
  • Reply 12 of 23
    Originally Posted by irnchriz View Post

    hackers/terrorists/governments.

     

    This phrase brought to you by the Department of Redundancy Department.

  • Reply 13 of 23
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by jkichline View Post





    These bills are coming from the same republican congress that will do anything for our right to own guns and carry them. Why would you remove that protection from everyone and make everyone weak in the process? Especially considering China's rise in global cyber warfare?

     

    How does owning and carrying a gun protect you against cyber warfare? ;)

  • Reply 14 of 23
    lymflymf Posts: 65member
    sergioz wrote: »
    Good!

    danox wrote: »

    BAD!!!!
    actually, I think such short answers are misleading and both parties may have the same opinion.

    E.g. After reading the title I thought: good apple is not giving up. After reading the entire article my reaction was more: bad, it sucks that this bill has a lot of chances to pass.
  • Reply 15 of 23

    I'd like to see some data that backs up the need to spy on everyone.

     

    Or how about some data on how many terrorists the TSA has caught by making us all take off our shoes and walk through body scanners.

     

    If these government clowns had their way, they would put checkpoints every few miles where you need to show your papers.

  • Reply 16 of 23

    If we outlaw encryption, the only ones who will have it are the criminals.

  • Reply 17 of 23

    If we outlaw encryption, the only ones who will have it are the criminals.

  • Reply 18 of 23
    boredumbboredumb Posts: 1,418member



    "Apple announces opposition to cyberINsecurity bill..."

    There...fixed it...

  • Reply 19 of 23
    kpluckkpluck Posts: 500member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post



    Apple, one of the staunchest opponents of U.S. government efforts to conduct digital surveillance on its public, on Tuesday publicly denounced the efficacy of the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act, or CISA, just days before the bill goes up for vote in the Senate.

    This is good to hear. I am sure the politicians shredding the Constitution will stop what they are doing now. :rolleyes:

     

    -Keith

  • Reply 20 of 23
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post

     

     

    Get bent, totalitarian.

     

    ...

     

    That’s... no, that’s not a personal attack.

     

     

    Only if he was more like his father. He’s trending neocon these days.


     

    Love the reply.  Amen.  

     

    Ron Paul.  Great man.  Spoke too much common sense.  He was never going to get elected.  Though he should have.  :/  

     

    Shabbily treated by the US media...

     

    Lemon Bon Bon.

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