if it will possible to break it (ie loading a special ios on it), not long and everyone can do it...

While I hate apple, I agree with them. They should not be forced to rewrite code or give the government any back doors into their devices. But with how things have gone in this country, and with how the constitution is no longer adhered too I doubt they will win. If citizens can be forced to by things like health insurance, I am ure the government will force companies to do things they dont want as well. Depending on who gets in on the supreme court it may all be made easier. But I got to say the irony is great. About time democrats feel the burn of a government that has grown too big and too over bearing. Maybe now they will see why its important to follow the constitution, and not all the government to take control of everything. I am very interested in how this will play out.

There ya go, the court systems work (gasp):

http://money.cnn.com/2016/02/29/technology/judge-apple-feds/index.html

Judge ruled against the FBI's use of All Writ's Act today.

Sorry, I missed your reply. It was nice reading your opinions on the matter, I learnt a few things, thanks.

It's ok, no biggie :)  Strong feelings around this one (warranted).  I'm more concerned about the long game, frankly.  One dead sack of shit's privacy isn't important to me.  What really has to happen, and I feel it may need to happen sooner, rather than later, is Silicon Valley and America's intelligence agencies will need to have a sit down and work something out on how they can come to an agreement.  Otherwise, Congress absolutely will step in and pass legislation forcing it.  Every article I've read supports what Apple is doing, with the caveat that something has to be done or the US Government may very well enact legislation forcing tech companies to provide loopholes for authorities.  No, the FBI cannot force them to write code.  But (and this is merely speculation), it would appear that Congress absolutely can through laws.  And you can imagine that that is the absolute last thing anyone wants.

You spoke of foreign agencies making requests for this access?  Well, it's already happening, but not to Apple, and not in the manner you suggested:

Police in Brazil have arrested the vice president of the social media company Facebook in Latin America.

Diego Dzodan, an Argentine national, has repeatedly refused to comply with court orders to hand over data for use in a criminal investigation into drugs trafficking, police said.

His arrest relates to the messaging service WhatsApp, owned by Facebook.

In a statement, Facebook called Mr Dzodan's arrest an "extreme and disproportionate measure".

Mr Dzodan's arrest was ordered by a judge in the north-eastern state of Sergipe.

He was held as he left his house in an exclusive area of Sao Paulo on Tuesday morning.

Judge Marcel Maia Montalvao had in two previous instances issued fines against Facebook for refusing to release WhatsApp data.

The information was needed as part "secrete judicial investigations involving organised crime and drug trafficking," he said.

In a statement, Facebook said it was "disappointed with the extreme and disproportionate measure".

"Facebook has always been and will be available to address any questions Brazilian authorities may have," the company said.

In December a judge in Brazil suspended WhatsApp for 48 hours.

The Sao Paulo state judge said at the time that the company failed to comply with court orders to share information in a criminal case.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-35700733

Ok here is my take on this whole situation. Apple and the tech companies are in the wrong here, and not for the reason you may think. Because even if they win this case, since it is now approching the supreme court, they will probably end up loosing badly on may different levels. (As of now one judge in California supported the FBI and one in New York supported Apple, why there is two cases about this matter don't ask me.)  And the FBI is doing it job, and doing what is in the best interest of Apple, by asking apple to do this. (NOTE: I will go through what I think Apple should do with this case to make it the best for all involved, at the end of this novella type post.)

It isn't whether or not all of what the FBI want is possible because it is. A lot of these items where/are a part of script kiddies tool kits though not in any robust form they want. And their are people standing in line to take a crack at it like Avery, the creator of the Avery Security suites. So even if the FBI "looses" this battle they can go these people and Apple and its supporters worst nightmare of what happens to this "master key" will more than likely occur. Heck the FBI can be total dicks and do its as an open source competition. (Not that they will since it would put the FBI in more of a bad light then they already are.) 

The other way they will loose is by perception. One of the FBI's witnesses put it rather well. When the laws where made for warrants there was no concept of a place that couldn't be opened or accessed with out destroying the items they warrant. But now there is, and Apple and its supporter stance can be viewed as whether or not these spaces where law enforcement cannot go in and do their job, when they go through the proper legal steps.

What Apple and its supports should do is compromise. And in the past few years it seems this has become one of the longest "four letter words" out there. The best middle ground they can strive for here, is saying Ok will make the tool, but this is what we would like the government to do:

One: The tool will be in control of the tech company, it will not leave the company's premise the phone will have to come. There will be a special department we will set up that will have oversite over the tool(s).

Two: All requests and warrents need to be varrified by that department, before the phone is open.

Three: Part of the department's needed revenue will be provided by the US government since it's exhist for the sake of law inforcment, and placing all the financing on the companies will be an undue burden.

It is possible all encryption has a key, if it didn't encryption wouldn't work. And there are hackers whose lives are dedicated to creating these keys, and finding exploits. Like pirating games/programs, it is only a matter of time before they are cracked that is why the programs are made to be updated now a days to help stave off these people as long as possible. With any encrytion there is a possiblilty of making an external key but such a key usually isn't made since it does pose threats, and for the company is unneeded.

This case isn't about if it is possible, but if Apple has to do it. And in my previous post I wrote down it is actually in Apple's best interests to do it, if they are really concerned about the implication of such a key being misused, but to place restrictions on the use of the key. With the biggest being the key doesn't leave the tech compay the key is used for.

I believe, like most do, tech giants will not win this indefinitely. What if Apple is largely doing what they are doing because foreign agencies have been making ridiculous demands. I can't claim tech giants actually care, but shouldn't we? If liberals and human rights activists in Saudi keep getting jailed for acts of terror, and I keep mentioning KSA because you'd be terrified knowing what is classified as terror there, how can that country ever progress? On the other hand, why should Americans put up with the imbalance between privacy and protection Apple caused with iOS 8 because of some irrelevant countries. But those irrelevant countries are the source of most of the distress in the world right now. Shouldn't we do what we can to protect "freedom fighters" because whatever progressive changes we'd like to see, it has to come from within. You can see I am undecided on what should Apple do, and it seems to me that most people are picking sides based on whom they hate less, not based on what their side represents. 

What do you think of what's happening in Brazil? Is it happening in a manner worse than the one I suggested? What will Facebook do next?

And please, keep revisting the thread and sharing your opinion, it's better than almost everything I've read on the matter. I am here to learn.

yes every encryption has a key, i know that. and the stronger the encryption the longer it takes to try to decrypt. so if apple is forced to bypass somehow the encryption by a "master key", who says no one can use this? or who should be able to use it? all goverments of the world? i even dont know how a master key would work. i mean there is just one key to decrypt, so you need to do something extra (a leak or something) to get the data without the key. So hackers can use this aswell.

You're not following the request, in the slightest.  They were not requested to breach their encryption, they were requested to create a special OS for special circumstances that removes the 'wipe device after 10 incorrect attempts' part of their OS, so that the FBI could attempt to brute force hack the password, w/o worrying about wiping the device.

Also, prior to the 2014 update to their OS that included this function, Apple DID have a master key to their previous encryption, and they DID help authorities by unlocking phones in the past.  And miraculously that key never reached the public sphere.  So, assuming something like that would happen w/ this special OS, when you have no example of it happening in the past, is a tad silly.

Regardless, the Judge sided with Apple, we'll see how the Federal Government responds.  Legislation could be next.