Apple’s encryption stand: Doing the right thing for the wrong reason
In Apple’s encryption standoff with the U.S. government, the company portrays itself as standing up for the rights of privacy. It’s taking the high road, the company says, and is on the side of those who want to be free from an invasive government.
But despite Apple’s posturing, this is not for the company a fight about the rights of individuals against the power of governments. Instead, it’s all about market share and the bottom line — an example of the company doing the right thing for the wrong reason.
CEO Tim Cook explained the company’s actions in an open letter filled with high-minded ideals that it sent to its customers. “We feel we must speak up in the face of what we see as an overreach by the U.S. government,” he wrote. “Ultimately, we fear that this demand would undermine the very freedoms and liberty our government is meant to protect.”
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