Tim Cook's letter about a recent demand made to Apple by the US government. (February 16, 2016)
A Message to Our Customers
The United States government has demanded that Apple take an unprecedented step
which threatens the security of our customers. We oppose this order, which has
implications far beyond the legal case at hand. This moment calls for public
discussion, and we want our customers and people around the country to
understand what is at stake.
The Need for Encryption
Smartphones, led by iPhone, have become an essential part of our lives. People
use them to store an incredible amount of personal information, from our private
conversations to our photos, our music, our notes, our calendars and contacts,
our financial information and health data, even where we have been and where we
are going. All that information needs to be protected from hackers and criminals
who want to access it, steal it, and use it without our knowledge or permission.
Customers expect Apple and other technology companies to do everything in our
power to protect their personal information, and at Apple we are deeply
committed to safeguarding their data. Compromising the security of our personal
information can ultimately put our personal safety at risk. That is why
encryption has become so important to all of us. For many years, we have used
encryption to protect our customers’ personal data because we believe it’s the
only way to keep their information safe. We have even put that data out of our
own reach, because we believe the contents of your iPhone are none of our
business.