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User Rank: Apprentice
3/1/2016 | 2:28:01 PM
If Apple was simply saying "no" out of some misguided attempt at protecting the individual terrorist, then your example might more closely apply. But that is not what is going on here - they are being asked to create NEW technology to allow the FBI to attempt a brute-force attack on their security measures.
Therefore, your point is missing Apple's "place" or role in this scenario. In your example of paper writings from the terrorist, Apple would have been a super-micro Cross-Cut paper shedder manufacturer that was used by the terrorist right before he died. Then the FBI found the tiny shreds of paper, and handed them to Apple, and got a court order that said, "You must go create a machine to un-shred these papers so we can read them."
If somehow they COULD even pull of this miracle, no one would ever buy an Apple shredder again because they would not feel they were safely protecting their data from the bad guys.
Apple is an innocent, non-party in this case. They should not be compelled to weaken and possibly destroy their own product, and they should definitely not have to do it as "forced labor without pay".