14 ms·

EFF to Apple Shareholders: Your Company Is Fighting for All of Us

73 points by sinak 11y ago

studentrob 11y ago
Yes, and the fight won't stop after this court battle. A bill by US lawmakers, set for release in March, could require encrypted devices to be able to give un-encrypted data to law enforcement. Feinstein says the bill is "coming along ... some people are making it a lot harder than we think it needs to be". An alternate proposal is also on the table http://www.politico.com/tipsheets/morning-cybersecurity/2016/02/march-is-encryption-bill-month-hackers-going-after-japans-infrastructure-a-mixed-final-2015-tally-212865 http://www.politico.com/tipsheets/morning-cybersecurity/2016...
- tristor 11y ago
  Is there anything Diane Feinstein has done in all her years of service that was actually good? I am struggling to find anything.
  - jmspring 11y ago
    No. She ran on "being a woman" that was her only credential that year. She's a self serving a-hole who has done absolutely nothing to help this state out. As mayor, she had a canceal/carry permit when she backed laws refusing them to many. At least Boxer has stated what she stands for and stood by that. Feinstein, I never understood why we keep voting for her.
- sandworm101 11y ago
  Honestly, part of me wants such a bill. As a big supporter of F/OSS, I think this could result in the creation of properly open phones running software beyond the control of US corporations. An open os running on standardized handsets could moot the entire debate. Users should be able to examine code and select from a variety of operating systems, even compile their own from source as PC consumers have done for years.
  - studentrob 11y ago
    Hah, I agree, though personally I wouldn't risk a big brother future over supporting this bill.
maerF0x0 11y ago
Little does EFF know, that will anger shareholders. They dont want to expend the costs to fight everyone's battle. Only those that bring shareholder value.
- dandrews 11y ago
  You may be mistaken: there's at least one shareholder that wishes Apple all the best. ;-)
  - maerF0x0 11y ago
    Unless you're holding a massive chunk of apple and vote at meetings, you dont count.
    - rakel_rakel 11y ago
      Regardless of how cynical that sounds I actually think you're right here. Your pretty broad assumption that being able to vote automatically makes you an opponent to fighting this battle seems flawed though. If the majority of the decision makers were against it, fighting it wouldn't be on the agenda in the first place, right?
      - maerF0x0 11y ago
        > If the majority of the decision makers were against it, fighting it wouldn't be on the agenda in the first place, right? Good point. Though from my limited understanding of how companies function, often the the CEO is chosen by the board and has the freedom to do most what (s)he wants but with knowledge that the board can step in at anytime if the CEO is offbase/course. So it simply could be that Cook is standing up for something he believes and if it negatively affects the quarter/year then he's out.
- oldmanjay 11y ago
  As I understand it, shareholders are people from all walks of life, with their own thoughts, feelings, aims, and desires. Do you have special knowledge that would contradict my impression and provide support for your assertion?
NiftyFifty 11y ago
T-Mobile says you aren't. :)
sandworm101 11y ago
Shareholders don't care. Shareholders are not people. They are corporations and mutual/hedge funds. The closest thing to human would be the individual investor, but even they only ever act in their own financial interest. Apple is working to protect its customer base and shareholders do very much care about customers. Should the iPhone be opened up to law enforcement, customers will walk. THAT gets the attention of shareholders more than any appeal to their non-existent humanity.
- Fomite 11y ago
  > "but even they only ever act in their own financial interest." I'm an individual investor, and if fighting this out costs me some money, I'm pretty sure it was worth doing.
- RUBwkVjwLsDKgPw 11y ago
  To whom will they walk?
  - sandworm101 11y ago
    They might walk to other phones, or they could cut down on their phone use in favor of desktops. Either is bad for apple. Or they could just cut down on the private information their share over their phones, which is very bad for google/facebook and a little less bad for apple.
rwbt 11y ago
Did anyone read the article? > CNET reported that Apple's CEO, Tim Cook, was greeted with a standing ovation
cryptogibberish 11y ago
We desperately need public interest groups like the EFF to take their own position and to stop parroting the Apple line. https://www.reddit.com/r/privacy/comments/48a61j/eff_to_apple_shareholders_your_company_is/d0iaaaw https://www.reddit.com/r/privacy/comments/48a61j/eff_to_appl...

73 points by sinak 11y ago

Yes, and the fight won't stop after this court battle. A bill by US lawmakers, set for release in March, could require encrypted devices to be able to give un-encrypted data to law enforcement. Feinstein says the bill is "coming along ... some people are making it a lot harder than we think it needs to be". An alternate proposal is also on the table http://www.politico.com/tipsheets/morning-cybersecurity/2016/02/march-is-encryption-bill-month-hackers-going-after-japans-infrastructure-a-mixed-final-2015-tally-212865 http://www.politico.com/tipsheets/morning-cybersecurity/2016...

tristor 11y ago
Is there anything Diane Feinstein has done in all her years of service that was actually good? I am struggling to find anything.
- jmspring 11y ago
  No. She ran on "being a woman" that was her only credential that year. She's a self serving a-hole who has done absolutely nothing to help this state out. As mayor, she had a canceal/carry permit when she backed laws refusing them to many. At least Boxer has stated what she stands for and stood by that. Feinstein, I never understood why we keep voting for her.
sandworm101 11y ago
Honestly, part of me wants such a bill. As a big supporter of F/OSS, I think this could result in the creation of properly open phones running software beyond the control of US corporations. An open os running on standardized handsets could moot the entire debate. Users should be able to examine code and select from a variety of operating systems, even compile their own from source as PC consumers have done for years.
- studentrob 11y ago
  Hah, I agree, though personally I wouldn't risk a big brother future over supporting this bill.

maerF0x0 11y ago

Little does EFF know, that will anger shareholders. They dont want to expend the costs to fight everyone's battle. Only those that bring shareholder value.

dandrews 11y ago
You may be mistaken: there's at least one shareholder that wishes Apple all the best. ;-)
- maerF0x0 11y ago
  Unless you're holding a massive chunk of apple and vote at meetings, you dont count.
  - rakel_rakel 11y ago
    Regardless of how cynical that sounds I actually think you're right here. Your pretty broad assumption that being able to vote automatically makes you an opponent to fighting this battle seems flawed though. If the majority of the decision makers were against it, fighting it wouldn't be on the agenda in the first place, right?
    - maerF0x0 11y ago
      > If the majority of the decision makers were against it, fighting it wouldn't be on the agenda in the first place, right? Good point. Though from my limited understanding of how companies function, often the the CEO is chosen by the board and has the freedom to do most what (s)he wants but with knowledge that the board can step in at anytime if the CEO is offbase/course. So it simply could be that Cook is standing up for something he believes and if it negatively affects the quarter/year then he's out.
oldmanjay 11y ago
As I understand it, shareholders are people from all walks of life, with their own thoughts, feelings, aims, and desires. Do you have special knowledge that would contradict my impression and provide support for your assertion?

NiftyFifty 11y ago

T-Mobile says you aren't. :)

sandworm101 11y ago

Shareholders don't care. Shareholders are not people. They are corporations and mutual/hedge funds. The closest thing to human would be the individual investor, but even they only ever act in their own financial interest. Apple is working to protect its customer base and shareholders do very much care about customers. Should the iPhone be opened up to law enforcement, customers will walk. THAT gets the attention of shareholders more than any appeal to their non-existent humanity.

Fomite 11y ago
> "but even they only ever act in their own financial interest." I'm an individual investor, and if fighting this out costs me some money, I'm pretty sure it was worth doing.
RUBwkVjwLsDKgPw 11y ago
To whom will they walk?
- sandworm101 11y ago
  They might walk to other phones, or they could cut down on their phone use in favor of desktops. Either is bad for apple. Or they could just cut down on the private information their share over their phones, which is very bad for google/facebook and a little less bad for apple.

rwbt 11y ago

Did anyone read the article? > CNET reported that Apple's CEO, Tim Cook, was greeted with a standing ovation

cryptogibberish 11y ago

We desperately need public interest groups like the EFF to take their own position and to stop parroting the Apple line. https://www.reddit.com/r/privacy/comments/48a61j/eff_to_apple_shareholders_your_company_is/d0iaaaw https://www.reddit.com/r/privacy/comments/48a61j/eff_to_appl...