Case Study: Apple Inc. vs$.$ FBI $(2016)$

Background

In December $2015,$ a terrorist attack in San Bernardino, California, resulted in the deaths of $14$ people and injuries to $22$ others. The FBI identified one of the attackers, Syed Rizwan Farook, as the

owner of an iPhone $5$C$.$ The FBI sought to access the data on Farook's phone as part of its investigation into the attack.

In February $2016,$ the FBI obtained a court order requiring Apple Inc. to assist in unlocking the iPhone. Specifically, the FBI requested that Apple create a version of the iOS operating system that could

bypass the phone's security features, such as the password and the data wipe feature that would activate after multiple incorrect password attempts. Apple refused to comply, citing concerns about

creating a "backdoor" that could compromise the security and privacy of all iPhone users.

The case drew significant public and legal attention, raising questions about privacy, security, and the limits of government authority. The issue was settled outside of court when the FBI eventually

accessed the phone's data through other means, reportedly a third$-$party vendor, but the legal and ethical debate continued.

Required:

a$.$ Discuss how the Apple Inc. vs$.$ FBI case illustrates John Locke's principles of natural rights and the social contract. How does Apple's refusal to unlock the iPhone reflect Locke's ideas about

individual privacy and government authority?

$(10$ marks$)$