There's a fine line between maintaining privacy and helping protect national security as evidenced by the tussle between the FBI and Apple over the unlocking of a terrorist's iPhone, former New York City Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik tells
Newsmax TV.
"I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place. I completely understand the privacy issue, I completely understand the American public [and] 'don't trust the government,''' Kerik said Wednesday to J.D. Hayworth on Newsmax Prime.
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"But I have to tell you, as somebody that probably understands the threat of terror more than most people watching your show, I'd want to know what's inside that phone.
"And I'd want to know what's inside the phones of some of these other terror suspects that they've had in custody and they now have this device that has information on it that may help prevent other attacks."
The Justice Department is attempting to force to unlock the iPhone used by Syed Farook, who with his wife killed 14 people in San Bernardino, Calif. in December. Apple argues that its intervention could jeopardize cybersecurity.
Kerik said that unlocking the secrets of criminals' cell phones has become more difficult over the years as encryption techniques become more sophisticated.
"Years ago, that stuff didn't exist. If a guy had a cell phone … You take a court order, you go to the phone company, they get you the text messages, you can get up on the phone and listen to conversation," Kerik said.
"Apple is a company that wants to do the right thing, but they have to protect their product, they have to protect their clients, and they have to live within the bounds of the Constitution and they think that this falls outside the bounds of the Constitution."
But, Kerik notes, "My bigger issue with this is, if you can prevent an attack based on something that was in that phone, that's extremely important."
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