Congress May Create Commission to Address Debate Over Apple’s Fight with FBI


By Steve Neavling
ticklethewire.com

As Apple and the FBI square off over hacking into an iPhone that belonged to one of the San Bernardino shooters, Congress is debating a solution over the divide between digital privacy and national security.

NPR reports that lawmakers may form a commission modeled after the one created to investigate the 9/11 security breakdowns.

“There is no easy, knee-jerk, legislative response at this time,” Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, said. “If Congress does nothing, as some would advocate … and we get hit in the United States with a Paris-style attack? I don’t want that on my hands.”

Apple has said it supports the formation of a commission, which could include members from the tech industry, law enforcement, privacy advocates and the Obama administration.

The commission would then submit a report of its findings.

Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va. said Congress should have acted earlier.

“In many ways the current litigation that’s taking place might not have been needed if we’d had this kind of approach a few years back,” says Warner, adding that he fears that the sides are “talking past each other.”

Leave a Reply