Last December, America was stunned when a couple went on a shooting spree in San Bernardino, California. As the citizens demanded answers and more information came to light, it was evident that this was a terrorist attack on the United States. With tensions rising every day, the American government has been digging for more answers in order to protect the nation. Now the FBI is at a legal standstill with global tech giant Apple.

A federal magistrate ordered Apple to assist the government in its efforts to find out more about the terrorists by unlocking pthe iPhone of the male terrorist, Syed Farook. Apple says they are all for helping the government, but this crosses the line. Apple claims that this will set a legal precedent and who knows how far the government will go with its demands if they allow it. However, the government defends its position by saying it is just this iPhone, just this once, according to Apple’s lawyers.

Apple CEO Tim Cook brings up a good point related to the role of our government. He argues that he does not know where the government would stop if they are successful in making Apple unlock the phone, but this should not even happen in America. His point is a very interesting one because it seems that the country is stuck between a rock and a hard place on this issue. People do not want their individual liberties trampled on, which is what Tim Cook is warning could happen. However, citizens want the government to find out more about these terrorists in order to prevent something like this happening again.

Now the question becomes, “what is the role of the government in an ever-progressing technological world?” Technology is always improving, but that also means every upgrade means more of an unknown area for our government. The fundamental principles this nation was built upon still apply, but do we really understand the problem?

In this case, it is safe to say Apple knows the technological consequences that could follow. This issue is also not a Republican or Democratic issue because both sides seem to side with the FBI. Presidential candidate Sen. Marco Rubio accused Apple of being too concerned about the brand name and using this as a marketing scheme. However, this issue again is between national security and personal freedoms.

If the FBI does prevail, that would undoubtedly set a precedent not only for Apple’s expected future cooperation, but for other tech companies such as Facebook or Google, which have both backed Tim Cook’s decision. Apple are the experts and Tim Cook’s stance should not be taken lightly because this decision will set a precedent for future issues. It is not just this phone this one time. 

The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the writer and are not representative of The Slate or its staff as a whole.

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