Arkansas Senator Says Apple Should Design Backdoor Into iMessage

Senator Tom Cotton (R- Arkansas) has issued a response to Apple CEO Tim Cook's comments on encryption during a 60 Minutes special last night. The Senator believes that Apple should be forced to design to a backdoor into its messaging system to allow for lawful searches.

"Apple is a distinctive company that has improved the lives of millions of Americans. But Tim Cook omitted critical facts about data encryption on 60 Minutes last night. He claimed that Apple does not comply with lawful subpoenas because it cannot. While it may be true that Apple doesn't have access to encrypted data, that's only because it designed its messaging service that way. As a society, we don't allow phone companies to design their systems to avoid lawful, court-ordered searches. If we apply a different legal standard to companies like Apple, Google, and Facebook, we can expect them to become the preferred messaging services of child pornographers, drug traffickers, and terrorists alike--which neither these companies nor law enforcement want. Our society needs to address this urgent challenge now before more lives are lost or shattered."

Cotton appears not to understand that a backdoor into a system is a backdoor for anyone, not just law enforcement. It will be found and used without a court-ordered search.


Ever since Apple improved the security of its mobile operating system, law enforcement officials have been conducting a multi-year sustained effort to hack the security of Apple iPhones and iPads. In addition, the FBI has been pushing Congress to pass laws mandating that companies give the government access to data on devices through a "back door."

Apple CEO Tim Cook has repeatedly had to defend citizens' right to privacy. “None of us should accept that the government or a company or anybody should have access to all of our private information. This is a basic human right. We all have a right to privacy. We shouldn't give it up. We shouldn't give in to scare-mongering or to people who fundamentally don’t understand the details.”

Let us know your thoughts in the comments. Should Apple be forced to install a backdoor into your device so the government can gain access to your messages and data?