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Nearly half of Americans support Apple ’s ( AAPL ) decision to oppose a federal court order demanding that it create software to unlock an iPhone used by San Bernardino, Calif., shooter Syed Farook, according to a national online Reuters/Ipsos poll . The poll results released Wednesday found that 46% of respondents agree with Apple’s position, 35% disagree and the rest did not know. When asked if the government would use the ability to unlock phones to “spy on iPhone users,” 55% said they agreed, 28% disagreed and the rest were not sure. Reuters/Ipsos surveyed more than 1,500 U.S. adults Feb. 19 to 23. Apple CEO Tim Cook said complying with the court order would set a “dangerous precedent” that threatens the security and privacy of all iPhone users. If Apple creates the software that the government wants, it would make iPhones vulnerable to hackers, criminals, and foreign and domestic spy agencies, he said. On Tuesday, investment bank Piper Jaffray released the results of its online survey of more than 1,000 U.S. consumers. That poll found that 24.1% of respondents viewed Apple’s brand more favorably in light of its refusal to hack its iPhone security protections, while 23% viewed the brand less favorably. Of the rest, 17.8% said that they viewed the brand the same, and 35.1% said that they didn’t know anything about the story. A poll released Monday by the Pew Research Center found Americans slightly in favor of the government’s position. Some 51% of respondents said Apple should unlock the iPhone to assist the ongoing FBI investigation of the San Bernardino shootings. But 38% said Apple should not unlock the phone to ensure the security of its other users’ information. The remaining 11% didn’t have an opinion. Tech industry and civil liberties groups have voiced support for Apple’s position, while a number of politicians and law enforcement officials have backed the government’s stance. Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday that the Justice Department is seeking to force Apple to extract data from about 12 other iPhones in a dozen criminal cases. The Justice Department last week claimed it wasn’t trying to create a precedent and only wanted Apple’s help in accessing the single iPhone in the San Bernardino case. Apple challenged that claim. “The government suggests this tool could only be used once, on one phone. But that’s simply not true,” CEO Cook wrote last week in a letter to customers. “Once created, the technique could be used over and over again, on any number of devices. . . . The government is asking Apple to hack our own users and undermine decades of security advancements.” Apple recently hired former U.S. Solicitor General Ted Olson, a partner with the law firm Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, as an outside lawyer to help fight its case. Speaking on ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday, Olson said complying with the federal order would open a “Pandora’s box” of privacy issues. RELATED: Apple CEO Calls For Government Panel On Encryption Issues . Scalper1 News
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