What Apple did was remove itself from the equation. Long before Apple, anyone could encrypt data they felt like encrypting, and trust that short of divulging the key, that data could not be decrypted. The only thing that has changed is the ease of use around applying the encryption. I don't agree that making encryption "too easy to use" should be illegal.
Of course with iPhones we are still encrypting the data ourselves. You choose to apply a PIN lock (or not). If you choose to allow a fingerprint to unlock the phone from a cold boot, then the government can collect your fingerprint and decrypt your files (fingerprints are not testimony). If you choose a weak PIN, the government can guess it and decrypt your files.
All Apple has done is choose to design a secure encryption library, one where there is no obvious backdoor, and one where they cannot be co-opted into secretly disclosing your personal data to the government through a 3rd-party warrant. The fact is, Apple is not in possession of your data, and they don't want to be in possession of your data.
If somehow Congress manages to pass CALEA-type laws requiring Apple to maintain a backdoor into our data, we'll just bypass Apple and keep the data safe ourselves. It might take a few more years for the technology to become equally usable, but the 1st amendment guarantees our right to develop and publish and freely license the software necessary to achieve the end goal, namely, that people have the ability to control access to personal data that they themselves collect and maintain.
Thankfully Tim Cook has the experience and unique perspective on these matters to truly understand the value and necessity of being able to keep personal data private. I'm sure the path that brought him to these strongly-held personal beliefs was not easy, but I believe the world actually is a better place because of it. I am also very thankful to live in a country where Tim can help craft a device which upholds his beliefs, and it would be a sad day indeed to see that freedom stifled.
You're argument about "an encryption system installed by the manufacturer that the manufacturer itself cannot decrypt" does not make any sense. It sounds like an argument against functional encryption, which is an argument against functional computers. Please try following your thought to its logical conclusion, and consider if it's really a country you would want to live in?
Of course with iPhones we are still encrypting the data ourselves. You choose to apply a PIN lock (or not). If you choose to allow a fingerprint to unlock the phone from a cold boot, then the government can collect your fingerprint and decrypt your files (fingerprints are not testimony). If you choose a weak PIN, the government can guess it and decrypt your files.
All Apple has done is choose to design a secure encryption library, one where there is no obvious backdoor, and one where they cannot be co-opted into secretly disclosing your personal data to the government through a 3rd-party warrant. The fact is, Apple is not in possession of your data, and they don't want to be in possession of your data.
If somehow Congress manages to pass CALEA-type laws requiring Apple to maintain a backdoor into our data, we'll just bypass Apple and keep the data safe ourselves. It might take a few more years for the technology to become equally usable, but the 1st amendment guarantees our right to develop and publish and freely license the software necessary to achieve the end goal, namely, that people have the ability to control access to personal data that they themselves collect and maintain.
Thankfully Tim Cook has the experience and unique perspective on these matters to truly understand the value and necessity of being able to keep personal data private. I'm sure the path that brought him to these strongly-held personal beliefs was not easy, but I believe the world actually is a better place because of it. I am also very thankful to live in a country where Tim can help craft a device which upholds his beliefs, and it would be a sad day indeed to see that freedom stifled.
You're argument about "an encryption system installed by the manufacturer that the manufacturer itself cannot decrypt" does not make any sense. It sounds like an argument against functional encryption, which is an argument against functional computers. Please try following your thought to its logical conclusion, and consider if it's really a country you would want to live in?