Business Ethics Report: Apple Inc. Case Study and Ethical Implications

This report examines the ethical considerations of Apple Inc., specifically focusing on a case study involving encryption and customer privacy. The author, assuming the role of CEO, argues against providing the police with tools to unlock encrypted phones, citing concerns about customer privacy, the potential for security breaches, and the undermining of the company's core values. The report discusses the risks of providing access to customer data, including the compromise of security, potential exposure to hackers and cybercriminals, and the weakening of security measures. The author emphasizes the importance of protecting customer data and maintaining the integrity of the company's security protocols. The report concludes that providing encryption tools to the police for a single case would endanger millions of iPhone users and compromise the company's commitment to customer security. The author references news sources to support their arguments.

Running head: BUSINESS ETHICS 1
Business Ethics
Name
Institution Affiliation

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Indeed, if I was the Chief Executive Officer of Apple Inc., I would not have felt
confident to provide the police with the tools to unlock any encrypted phone of an Apple
customer. Accordingly, the reason as is that providing access to the police would be
breaching the customer’s privacy which is the core objective of Apple to protect the privacy
of its customers. Certainly by providing the US government access to customers’ data will be
a breach of their rights as well as rights (CBC News: The National, 2016). In this sense, it
will mean that the security of Apple Inc., will have been compromised and exposed to
broader risks and this will not only impact on the image of the company but also its sales. By
asking for the tool used for encryption of its software would be a way of undermining the
company. Consequently, by the government asking Apple to develop a software that it can
have a backdoor access will not only be used in this particular case but it will be breaking
into other customers phones which are undermining customer’s rights and freedom.
On the same note, by the government asking Apple to hack its customers it will be
undermining many years of security advancements whose task is to protect numerous
Americans and other customers across the globe from sophisticated hackers. Therefore, by
providing the police with the encryptions tools customers will be exposed to all kind of risks
of personal information being accessed by hackers and cybercriminals. In this case, the safety
of millions of iPhone users will have been placed in danger. The issue of cybersecurity has
become a big menace whereby there has been a lot of transparency which places at risk
customer’s privacy (CNBC, 2016). Accordingly, asking for Apple Inc., encryption tools will
be weakening its security measures which and this will greatly impact negatively on matters
of people security because this access will give a new exploit for hackers and cybercriminals.
Therefore, in my view, I will not support the idea of police being granted Apple Inc.
encryption tools just for one case as this will put millions of iPhones users as their personal

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information will be a great risk of hackers and cybercriminals because encryption and
customer security is the heart of Apple Inc.

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References
CNBC. (2016). [Image]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irt6u14oubY
CBC News: The National. (2016). [Image]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=HXd3_ABduYU