Three years ago the relationship between the tech sector and government ruptured when a National Security Agency contractor burst onto the scene toting a hard drive stocked with state secrets. Since then Silicon Valley’s finest have been beefing up their security measures—applying stronger encryption to their products, for example—in order to protect consumers from snoops. The extra fortifications have made law enforcement officers irate. Battle lines drawn: the combatants now come to blows.
Apple (AAPL) v. FBI
The colossus of Cupertino’s refusal to unlock an iPhone is still flummoxing the FBI. The company fears that making an exception—a tool to demolish device defenses—could indelibly wreck users’ privacy.
For more on Apple’s FBI case, watch this Coins2Day video:
Facebook (FB) v. Brazil
Authorities briefly jailed the social network’s Latin America chief in March after failing to access a drug crime suspect’s WhatsApp messages. Facebook maintains it neither sees nor stores such information.
Microsoft (MSFT) v. U.S.
No, not the late ’90s monopoly case, but a newer suit. The Redmond giant has rejected Justice Department demands to turn over customer emails stashed on Irish computer servers.
A version of this article appears in the April 1, 2016 issue of Coins2Day with the headline “The War Over Your Data Is Heating Up.”