Apple's top counsel to tell Congress, 'Encryption is a necessary thing'
On Tuesday, Apple Senior Vice President and General Counsel Bruce Sewell will testify before the House Judiciary Committee, stressing that while Apple does respect and assist law enforcement, what the FBI wants this time simply goes too far.
One of Apple’s strategies is to argue that Congress should pass legislation to cover cases like this, instead of using the more broad All Writs Act, which was first passed in 1789 and last updated in 1946. Apple thinks a more modern statute like the Communications for Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA) would be more appropriate, although the Department of Justice disagrees that it’s applicable here.
Sewell isn’t the only witness called to Congress on Tuesday. The Judiciary Committee’s hearing, titled “The Encryption Tightrope: Balancing Americans’ Security And Privacy,” will also feature testimony from FBI Director James Comey, Professor Susan Landau of Worcester Polytecnic Institute, and New York County District Attorney Cyrus Vance, Jr. —who recently told Charlie Rose that he’s asked Apple to unlock 175 iPhones, and if the government gets its way in San Bernardino, would “absolutely” push for the same thing in New York.
The full text of Sewell’s opening remarks is below. The hearing is scheduled for 1pm Eastern, and will air live on C-SPAN 3.