Almost half of Americans siding with Apple in its battle against the FBI 

The results of this poll released on Wednesday indicated that 46 per cent of respondents approved of Apple’s decision to oppose a court order from the FBI to unlock the iPhone used by San Bernardino shooter Syed Farook. Thirty-five per cent of those responding are against Apple, while the rest are undecided.

What is interesting to highlight is that other questions posed in the poll disclosed that a majority do not want the U.S. government to have access to their smart devices or online communications, even if the end result is to prevent terror attacks.

Many also believe that unlocking Farook’s iPhone would set a dangerous precedent that the government could use to force Apple to unlock more phones. Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook put this stance forth in an open letter to customers last week.

On the question whether respondents believed that the authorities would use this precedent to unlock phones to “spy on iPhone users,” 55 percent said yes, 28 percent said no, and the rest were not sure.

What is not surprising is the fact that the majority of younger Americans are supporting Apple’s stance. Of those polled between the ages of 18 and 39, 64 per cent agreed with the company’s decision to fight the court order, nearly doubling the percentage of older people who felt the same way.

“The poll results reflect a deep sense of scepticism among Americans about the security of their information,” said Ipsos pollster Chris Jackson. “There is this tension: Americans want terrorists to be prosecuted, but in the context of issues about security and privacy, it becomes a much more nuanced discussion.”

We’re curious to know, what’s your position on this? Are you in agreement or disagreement with Apple’s decision to oppose the court order?

Let us know by commenting below or participate in our poll.

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