An Ethical Dilemma: Apple's Data Privacy vs. National Security

This assignment presents a case study examining the ethical dilemma faced by Apple in its conflict with the FBI over data privacy and national security. The study focuses on the 2016 debate between Apple, advocating for customer digital privacy, and the U.S. government, seeking access to encrypted data for national security purposes, particularly after the San Bernardino terrorist attack. The assignment explores how Apple's business model, prioritizing product sales over data exploitation, influenced its stance on protecting customer privacy. It also considers the historical context of government data collection and the company's implementation of encryption measures. The case study further discusses alternative perspectives on information sharing, weighing the need for government access for investigations against the importance of customer privacy. Finally, it assesses the impact of the case on government, businesses, and society, highlighting the ongoing debates surrounding data security, privacy, and the balance between individual rights and national security concerns, and how technology companies face pressure from governments to provide backdoors.

Running head: AN ETHICAL DILEMMA 1
An Ethical Dilemma
Student’s Name
University Affiliation

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New and Relevant Information to the Case Study.
From the case study it is evident that the new and relevant information making the
plotline is about the hot debate on February 2016 between Apple and digital rights who were
protecting customer digital privacy and the U.S government and the Federal Bureau of
Investigation who wanted Apple and other companies to concur and offer a helping hand in
protecting national security (Potapchuk, 2016).
An example of where the U.S government wanted a helping hand from Apple is after the
terrorist attack that took place in San Bernardino where the FBI demanded a backdoor to the
iPhone of the terrorist. However, this bore no fruits where Cook the CEO to apple declined so as
to honor the privacy and security of the customers. Another incident is in 2010 where a proposed
draft legislation which would lead to the technology organizations like Apple concur in
providing unencrypted data which the government by then decided not to move on with the
proposal.
How Case Concept have been Applied to Personal/ Professional Life.
The business model of Apple was clearly based on selling products but not tapping data,
unlike other organizations, for example, Google who does this. By this, through the major use of
iPhones in storing personal information prompted the Apple’s CEO to stand firm in securing
customers privacy.
A counter-terrorism data collection in 2007 allowed the National Security Agency to
receive for example emails, video clips, voice and video calls where Apple was not an exception.
In response to this, the company implemented safety encryption measures where concludingly,
the CEO gave an adhered professional response that the business model is straightforward that

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they sell products and don’t sell email content to advertisers and that their deep commitment is
protecting customer’s privacy (Etzioni, 2016).
A Different Perspective about an Idea that is Being Discussed.
As much as the technology companies more emphatic on Apple company which fully
views information sharing requests as breaching customers privacy, some access to the
information of interest by the government which would help in carrying out the investigation on
suspects should be provided as much as the country wants to remain fully protected by the
government (Song & Jeschke, 2017).
As Obama, the former president of U.S stated that fully percent privacy cannot be
guaranteed while having fully percent privacy with no inconveniences. With this, the company
should not consider it unethical while trying to cooperate with the government in eliminating the
undesirable elements from the people of the U.S., On the other hand, the customers should not
consider it a thing while such case happens since it is majorly for their benefit.
How does the Case Affect Government, Business and Society?
The case has affected the government in several ways which include the denial of
creating a backdoor to the iPhone which the organization considered very dangerous to do so and
the denial of FBI investigation through Apple which shows that they cannot partner with the
government in any way holding it unethical to its customers (Garber, 2014).
On business, it is evident that such technology companies will remain under pressure by
the government to provide for what is referred to as backdoors whenever a concern affecting the
Security occurs.

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On the society, it is clear that it will remain restless due to the hot debates which arise
between protecting their privacy and issues of the U.S security.

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References
Etzioni, A. (2016). Apple: Good Business, Poor Citizen?. Journal of Business Ethics, 1-11.
Garber, L. (2014). Security, privacy, policy, and dependability roundup. IEEE Security &
Privacy, (4), 8-10.
Potapchuk, J. L. (2016). A Second Bite at the Apple: Federal Courts' Authority to
Compel Technical Assistance to Government Agents in Accessing Encrypted
Smartphone Data Under the All Writs Act. BCL Rev., 57, 1403.
Song, H., Fink, G. A., & Jeschke, S. (Eds.). (2017). Security and Privacy in Cyber-physical
Systems: Foundations, Principles, and Applications. John Wiley & Sons.