A journalist conscripted into write propaganda . A sad pill pusher compelled to make drugs used in lethal injections . A doctorFORCED TO GIVE SOMEONE CANCER .
While Appletussles with the governmentover whether it will comply with a court order that would require it to help oneself law of nature enforcement break into an iPhone , it ’s meddlesome winning first prize for the most bombastic embrace of slippery - gradient metaphor used by a PR car .
Apple is drink down out shuddery hypotheticals at a snip that is n’t just keeping up with the intelligence oscillation — it ’s shaping it . Take Apple CEO Tim Cook ’s late ABC Newsappearance , where he said making a master key for the FBI would be “ the software equivalent of cancer . ” Cook ’s colorful language made newspaper headline everywhere , admit one at this very blog .
The ongoing PR campaign is also making Cook reckon like a crusading badass . Whole - wheat berry goner - lookin Tim Cook . The shift in his public figure is a fantastic accomplishment in and of itself . Remember that Cook haslong beenconsidereda notoriously drill public speaker , wooden where Steve Jobs was vivacious , measured where Jobs was showy . This scuffle with the FBI has done more for Cook ’s public persona than launch a $ 50 iPhone made of diamonds and seratonin ever could . ( I think I get Outlandish Figures of Speech Syndrome , but whatever . )
Just to be clear-cut : Apple ’s decision to fight the government on a court order that would force it to write iPhone software package countermine its own security configurations isthe right decision , for many reasonableness : It would set a disturbing legal common law . It would be an unjustified burden on the company . And it would violate the First Amendment , since software program computer code is de jure view speech , and the Constitution prohibits the regime from forcing speech .
That said , Apple ’s hot air has sailed right past “ persuasive ” and into the vaunted realm of “ brilliantly deranged . ”
The FBI is busy serving upits own brandof imitation - folksy “ we begin ta look ‘ em in the heart ” spin , but it has n’t been able to command control over the public disputation in the same way as Apple . The FBI arrogate that Apple ’s underground to facilitate unlock the San Bernardino killer ’s iPhone negatively impacts the agency ’s counterterrorism efforts , but it ’s already had to walk back on some of its argument — for instance , FBI Director James Comey admit today that the court ordercould lay a common law , which cave the whole “ c’m on it ’s just one terrorist ’s earphone ” argument that the authorities clip out .
To make things even sweet , this is an opportune moment for Apple to reclaim the nitty-gritty and minds of the public . Not that it was suffering in sales , but the company ’s repute for invention haslost its shinein late years . This swashbuckling posture may further enthusiasm for the Apple brand in approach of its March product announcement .
Tim Cook will never be the product seer Steve Jobs style himself to be , but now he is carving out his own legacy as an even grander whizz — protector of privacy , protector of the Constitution .
No matter how this shakes out for the hoi polloi who employ Apple merchandise — after all , Apple may still lose this fight in court of law — this is a victory of aggressive Porto Rico that furthers a branding makeover for Apple .
get in touch with the source at[email protected].Public PGP keyPGP fingerprint : E71A 198B C6A4 60CB CEEA 2635 4AA0 EE14 6579 0F38
ApplePrivacySecurityTim Cook
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