McCaul, Issa voice concerns regarding privacy following iPhone hack

U.S. Reps. Michael McCaul (R-TX) and Darrell Issa (R-CA) released statements on Monday regarding the ongoing privacy battle between Apple and the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI).

“The government’s decision to drop its case against Apple, however, does not mean that America is ready to turn the page on this serious issue,” McCaul said. “The question of ‘security versus security’ remains front and center, and the settling of this one case does not dispose of it. With another similar case still pending in the Eastern District of New York—and countless other cases undoubtedly yet to come—it is imperative that we get ahead of the curve. The Commission that Senator Warner and I have proposed will bring together the key experts to rigorously examine the challenges of security in the digital age so that we are not inevitably playing catch-up after each new law suit. Now is the time to determine how America will handle the digital security challenge—not just for today, but for years to come.”

Issa also voiced similar concerns about hacking the attacker’s iPhone and the possible privacy concerns that may come with universal backdoor access.

“This lawsuit may be over, but the Constitutional and privacy questions it raised are not,” Issa said. “Those worried about our privacy should stay wary — just because the government was able to get into this one phone does not mean that their quest for a secret key into our devices is over.

“That the government was able to gain access to the phone without Apple’s help is certainly preferable to issuing a wide-reaching court decision that would grant the government backdoor access into every American’s phone and other devices, but the fundamental question over how we, as citizens, expect our government to be able to access — or not access — our personal information still remains.”