Don't you think this would be a huge scandal, if it was revealed? Considering they specifically say it is not uploaded? Just saying.
Why would they take such a risk?
back
2 comments
The entire NSA thing to date is a huge scandal, and yet no one (outside of the tech community) seems to really care... Not many people are closing their accounts associated with NSA complicit companies.
Do you really fail to see the difference between disclosing user info already on the servers to the NSA under legal orders and announcing a new product after the leaks, claiming it does not send any data, and doing the exact opposite without any additional benefit? Why would Apple do this?
I don't recall reading NSA can now force companies to include finger sensors, and then force them to collect data they wouldn't be collecting otherwise.
I didn't say anything of the sort - just that major tech companies don't seem to really care about their reputation in relation to the NSA snooping. I'm not saying they've built in backdoors or anything either way, I'm just saying if they have, I don't think the average consumer seems to really care about it. Heck, I'd bet most of Hacker News is still using Google, Facebook, Microsoft products etc. and their reputations have hardly been tarnished by the revelations.
You are sound really really naive. You sound like the kind of person who is "shocked" by new scandals.
What is it that I said that sounds naïve to you?
That NSA can't force a company to include fingerprint sensors in their new phone?
Because we can't, not really. I mean, sure, at a significant price, you kinda can, but the cost will be great.
Delete your fb, g+ and twitter accounts. There will be a social price to pay, but it's still not too great for a significant amount of people. For many, though, even that is costly.
Get rid of your Nokia, Apple or Android phones. Suddenly, harsh. Still possible, because there's some alternatives, but if you want to avoid US and Chinese companies (srsly, Chinese), your options are limited and not well-known.
And, you've done both. Um, most SSL implementations. Your bank account. You'd have to go cash only.
Seriously, there isn't much we can do in any immediate way. Just vote the right way, and talk to people. Less glorious than pointlessly sacrificing yourself, sure, but actually works.
At the very least, It would open them up to a massive class action lawsuit. The repercussions would likely run much deeper that though.
The government has given legal immunity to telecoms that collaborated with NSA spying in the past, I'm sure they'd extend that immunity to Apple if need be.
The class action lawsuit would be brought based on the fact that Apple sold the device on a lie. The government can't grant immunity for that.
"The government can't grant immunity for that." ... come on.
I don't recall the exact wording of that law, IMHO it already covers such argument, but if not, it just needs a single sentence amendment. Government certainly can grant immunity against pretty much any civil claims.
They also can pass a law stating "Any and all contracts between Apple and 'gareim' shall be considered null and void.", though they probably won't do that - but adding an exception to the laws regulating advertising truthfulness is trivial. In fact, they could simply revoke those laws and then noone could bring any class actions for 'being sold a product on a lie'; class actions as such were only made possible by specific regulations and congress could eliminate the whole concept of class action suits if they wished to.
This can always be the job by someone in the company cooperating with NSA , without apple knowing. And i think government can grant immunity to lies. Hasn't many people lied to congress/citizens in the recent weeks ?