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They cannot simply decline a lawful request. Not if they don't want their servers seized and all the staff put in jail then prison. The US has a very disfuncti
by LatteLazy 4y ago
They cannot simply decline a lawful request. Not if they don't want their servers seized and all the staff put in jail then prison.
The US has a very disfunctional political system. But that doesn't mean it's viable to just try and shame big companies into overriding the law...
- SpicyLemonZest 4y agoSure they can! In 2016, Apple famously declined multiple requests and even court orders to help unlock some iPhones. I don't blame them in the slightest for declining to publicly answer a hypothetical question about it on the spur of the moment (and a pretty poorly framed question too - how is a tech company gonna know if a particular law enforcement request is abortion-related?), but it's reasonable to hope they're developing a strategy here.
- LatteLazy 4y agoAnd the fbi dropped the case before the last appeal could go against apple. What happens when they don't drop the case?
- spacemanmatt 4y agoSounds like the FBI didn't want to find out.
- kabdib 4y agoWell, not with that supreme court. The current one, on the other hand, might work great for the FBI. In 1868, Vigenère was considered unbreakable. If it was good enough then...
- LatteLazy 4y agoI think at the time they just found another way in. Since they'd won all the cases and appeals so far, and since the law is clear (even if I disagree with it) I don't think they were afraid. Remember, that was the court that refused to hear privacy cases around the NSA, warrent-less wiretapping etc. And since then the court has taken a hard right swing...
- spacemanmatt 4y agoI recall the general assumption was they bought Pegasus or something and mooted the need to sue.
- 1123581321 4y agoThose orders could not be compelled by a judge. Different situation. Unless something drastic changes, companies can be forced to hand over data, but they cannot be forced to create new expressions or sources of information for law enforcement. (Ignoring whatever NSA shenanigans may be occurring.)
- falcolas 4y agoAnd if it’s not the law in the state where they currently have servers? It would be interstate commerce, which is controlled at the federal level, not the state level.
- jeffbee 4y agoLike the idea of seizing the servers. Yes, a company like Google must comply with lawful court orders, but surely possessing the hardware would be by far the worst way to get it. They’d never find anything.
- anigbrowl 4y agoservers seized and all the staff put in jail then prison Sounds kinda tyrannical
- LatteLazy 4y agoThat is literally how all warrants and court orders work... Comply, appeal, or a guy with a truncheon will give you concussion and we'll seize anything that might have been associated with something to do with the case.