Privacy is a right guaranteed to Americans under the Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution. While items in the physical realm have be easily understood as being protected by this amendment, it is not exactly the case with digital items such as data and information files. As a result, technology companies such as Apple introduced encryption security measures to protect their information from being accessed. However, this has resulted in conflict over how to access data relating to crimes and similar heinous acts. An example of this is the conflict between Apple and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
In February, a federal magistrate ordered Apple to assist the FBI in breaking the security measures of one of their iPhone devices. …show more content…
Federal courts have struggled with the privacy implications of gathering and intercepting information on various devices, though progress has been made. In order to access information on computers, law enforcement officers had to obtain a search warrant. In addition, recent rulings have limited what type of information can be gathered and how certain information may be handled. Subpoenas must detail the actual risks of the information specified, and any data not important to the case must either be destroyed or returned to the respected party (Weinstein, Drake and Silverman 733-734). However, the radical shift to more handheld devices like smartphones has significantly changed the surveillance environment. People currently have the ability to store information in more places and communicate through connecting users through devices and applications. Information is not stored on hard drives, but rather in networks and online programs like cloud-based …show more content…
Other companies, such as Bank of America, American Express and Amazon, began using encryption on their website to protect information transferred between the company and the user, minimizing the threat that user data will be seized by hackers (Soghoian 374-375). Using a series of mathematical operations and algorithms, users can protect their data (Saitta). These algorithms are created through processes such as passwords, which are often created through a device or program user. Each password is individualistic and cannot be easily hacked through hacking software as a result of their unique nature (CGP Grey, “Should all locks have keys? Phones, Castles, Encryption, and You). When it comes to Apple, data was encrypted on the company’s line of iPhones by default beginning in late 2014
In February, a federal magistrate ordered Apple to assist the FBI in breaking the security measures of one of their iPhone devices. …show more content…
Federal courts have struggled with the privacy implications of gathering and intercepting information on various devices, though progress has been made. In order to access information on computers, law enforcement officers had to obtain a search warrant. In addition, recent rulings have limited what type of information can be gathered and how certain information may be handled. Subpoenas must detail the actual risks of the information specified, and any data not important to the case must either be destroyed or returned to the respected party (Weinstein, Drake and Silverman 733-734). However, the radical shift to more handheld devices like smartphones has significantly changed the surveillance environment. People currently have the ability to store information in more places and communicate through connecting users through devices and applications. Information is not stored on hard drives, but rather in networks and online programs like cloud-based …show more content…
Other companies, such as Bank of America, American Express and Amazon, began using encryption on their website to protect information transferred between the company and the user, minimizing the threat that user data will be seized by hackers (Soghoian 374-375). Using a series of mathematical operations and algorithms, users can protect their data (Saitta). These algorithms are created through processes such as passwords, which are often created through a device or program user. Each password is individualistic and cannot be easily hacked through hacking software as a result of their unique nature (CGP Grey, “Should all locks have keys? Phones, Castles, Encryption, and You). When it comes to Apple, data was encrypted on the company’s line of iPhones by default beginning in late 2014