The Dystopic Present Where Consumers Protest For The Rights of Corporations.
The FBI, who once suggested that everyone encrypt their data, now wants Apple to grant them access to a terrorist’s iPhone.. a story you have seen everywhere by now. More alarming to me than the fact that members of the Islamic State buy Apple products, was that the homie Ed Snowden was like down with Apple’s “Customer Letter” to the FBI.
I retweeted this in support of the omniscient Jedi Snowden as I agree, citizens should not rely on Apple (or any other corporation) to defend their rights. Is that what is really going on though? This morning I learned that people were staging GLOBAL protests at Apple Stores in support of Apple’s US government dissent against breaking their phone’s encryption. While I would join this protest, I wouldn’t do it outside of an Apple store, as this this is clearly a marketing ploy. Why does such a thing have to be public? If the FBI asked Apple privately to break into a murderous asshole’s phone, Apple could have politely told them to go fuck themselves or could have helped them with installing software on that SPECIFIC PHONE in order to allow a brute force robot to try every possible passcode. This is what most people fail to realize, this has nothing to do with altering all iPhone software so the government and in turn nefarious hackers have access.. Apple was asked to help with this single device. Apple could have taken the device into their possession in private used the brute force method, and sent the FBI a non-encrypted disk image of the contents of the phone — but instead they decide to make this a public issue. Lets consider some facts before assuming Apple has the people’s interest in mind with their dissent –
1. Apple doesn’t care about your privacy.
- The homie Snowden proved this with the NSA leak that listed Apple as a player in its “PRISM” program, meaning Apple has previously agreed to play ball with US government spying programs.
- Apple’s long and annoying “Privacy Policy” is full of terms that sign your rights, and data away. Such as —
We may collect, use, transfer, and disclose non-personal information for any purpose.
As is true of most internet services, we gather some information automatically and store it in log files. This information includes Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, browser type and language, Internet service provider (ISP), referring and exit websites and applications, operating system, date/time stamp, and clickstream data.
- About 70 iPhones, with iOS8 or lower, have been unlocked in the past for the FBI. So they are completely hypocritical.
In summary, Apple is already spying on you and has permitted the government to do so in the past.
2. Apple doesn’t care about humanity.
- Wake up call — Apple is not a goodie-two-shoes corporation, setting out on altruistic pursuits. For one, they produce their products in the low paying labor camp Foxconn, where many suicides and protests have occurred.
- Apple’s lack of human compassion doesn’t only exist overseas — it can also be observed right in their backyard. In the Bay Area, 13.8 percent of children are lacking the resources for such basic needs as food, clothing and shelter.
- The company doesn’t care about its country’s welfare, Apple does everything it can to avoid paying Taxes.
3. Apple doesn’t care about freedom of speech.
- Many apps that promote ideas that Apple doesn’t agree with get rejected from it’s AppStore, such as Mark Fiore’s app.
4. Apple, like every corporation, does care about profits.
Corporations are not your friend. Apple has twice as much cash than the US government. I think we should step back and consider what they really want, which has never changed. Behind their marketing slogans celebrating individualism, asking us to “Think Different” they are like any other company, they want your money and adoration. Don’t be fooled by the protest signs being sold at Apple Stores with slogans penned by TBWA/Media Arts Lab.
