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Encryption, Apple and the FBI – Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

Encryption, Apple and the FBI  - Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

John Oliver presents both sides of the current dispute between Apple and the FBI, which causes many to wonder if weakening strong encryption is worth the risk it presents. The issue is so complicated that even one-time critic Lindsey Graham changed his mind, and now sides with Apple!  That’s how complicated this whole thing is, I’m saying nice things about Lindsey Graham. Let us hope it is over soon.

Lindsey Graham was like most lawmakers, law enforcement officers and opinion givers  like Donald Trump, none of whom comprehend what’s at stake.Graham took the time to educate himself,and sees that it is not only useless but harmful to break into the phones.  Most of the critics of Apple think erroneously that the hack needed to open the terrorist’s phone is a one-time ‘key’ which could be discarded. Clearly they don’t understand what a code is, or that this one would soon open every iPhone to anyone who wished the information inside. While government types think every gadget and American should be open to penetration (truly) they aren’t deep thinkers, and we can’t let them influence policy – again.

I was surprised to learn that there are over 2,000 known services providing encryption to good guys and bad guys alike, so Apple is not the fortress of encryption that we’re being led to believe. Why do we have ideas that Apple is the end all and be all?  John believes in part, it’s because their commercials are misleading. Perhaps if their ads were more realistic, such misconceptions wouldn’t grow…So, here is a realistic Apple ad, and it is hilarious, I promise!

That lovely female voice you hear on ads, admits to not a few failures for Apple as well. For instance, there’s that ‘cool’ Apple watch they sold you.  It seemed a little redundant to me. It’s refreshing to hear someone from Apple say it’s not cool – not really.

I’m fairly certain that the ‘bad guy’ hacker in the ad is Gene from Bob’s Burgers. He truly um…Enjoys learning so much about you!  Over here, this is where the magic happens, at Apple, engineers are frantically scrambling to keep ahead of the hackers…And this time, they don’t!