iPhone users around the world may have never had data privacy according to the latest reports covered by news site, Intercept.
FBI top secret mission reports document that US government researchers created a version of XCode, Apple’s software application tool that allowed a backdoor into iPhone devices for surveillance.
Smirking at iPhone users would not serve Google Android users either as the watchful eye of the government could have been on them as well.
While Apple has increased encryption on their smart devices in September 2014 to a level that they themselves cannot supply data to the FBI upon request, the confidence of consumers has been shaken.
Both Barrack Obama and British Prime Minister on the other hand express concern at the amount of power consumer products with high encryption levels give criminals, leaving the debate between consumer privacy and national security wide open.
Apple CEO, Tim Cook, however wants to ensure consumers that they have never worked with any government authority to create a backdoor to their software or devices and neither have they ever allowed access to their servers.
If the top secret reports are true, US government intelligence agencies have started prying into Apple data since early 2006 and continued with this project with the advent of the Apple iPad in 2010.
Consumers who have always believed the movie cliché that the CIA “knows everything” would presumably be less perturbed by this information. However, if the potential that these tools have for the abuse and the systematic targeting of individuals is taken to consideration, many an iPhone may be chucked in the bin.
Should the CIA and British intelligence agencies have this much access to your personal information no matter where you are in the world? We would love to hear your opinion.