Apple's FBI standoff: Why it's a lot bigger than breaking into one device

Apple CEO Tim Cook has come to a cybersecurity standoff with the US government.

Image: James Martin/CNET

Apple has chosen not to meet the FBI's demands to help reveal the information that is on the iPhone of one of the killers in the December 2015 San Bernardino shooting. Why is Apple being so intransigent and what are the larger implications for the tech industry? That's what Bill Detwiler and I discussed in a special 30-minute episode of the TechRepublic Podcast.

Bill has a background in both technology and criminal justice so I peppered him with questions about the specifics of this issue, the broader legal issues, and the even larger societal questions about freedom versus security.

SEE: Defending the last missing pixels: Phil Zimmermann speaks out on encryption, privacy, and avoiding a surveillance state

Now that we've thrown our perspectives out there, we'd like to hear from you. What do you think is motivating Apple? Should the company cooperate with the FBI? Should other tech companies step up and take Apple's side?

Let us know by sending an email to podcast at techrepublic dot com or leaving a voicemail at 646-389-5404. We'll send you a TechRepublic mug and laptop sticker for participating.

To listen to the episode, you can:

• Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes
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• Use the player below:

There are lots of great tech podcasts out there. This one is aimed at people who are trying to use technology to get work done, make their businesses and their professional lives more efficient, and improve society. That's a lofty mission, but those are the goals we chase every day at TechRepublic.

If you have feedback about the podcast, ping us on Twitter:

• TechRepublic
• Bill Detwiler
• Jason Hiner
• Dan Patterson

Links to stories relevant to the topic:

• Apple's Tim Cook: We'll fight 'iPhone backdoor' demands from FBI (ZDNet)
• Apple vs. the FBI: This may not be a war Apple can win (ZDNet)
• In legal showdown, FBI vs. Apple could make or break Silicon Valley (ZDNet)
• Apple tells judge 200-year-old law can't unlock iPhones (ZDNet)
• Why are we still talking about backdoors in encryption? No, really (ZDNet)

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