Newswise — Apple lawyers and the FBI will make their cases on March 22 at a hearing before the U.S. District Court for the District of Central California. Fred Schneider, a Cornell University computer science professor who researches trustworthy computing and public policy, says the real issue is whether Americans want to regulate against building devices that are guaranteed to keep information secret from others.

Bio: www.infosci.cornell.edu/forward-thinking-people/field-faculty/fred-schneider

Schneider says: “Legal technicalities will determine the outcome for the FBI versus Apple hearing concerning this specific phone. But those same technicalities will be moot for the next generation of devices, because those mobile devices won’t be penetrable by design.

“To regulate that such devices be made penetrable – by including a back door – won’t be good enough. The market will dictate that devices be extensible by any provider and the market will be thirsty for buying extensions that provide strong protection.

“In short, the real issue is whether U.S. citizens want to regulate against building devices that are guaranteed to keep information secret from others – including law enforcement, but not restricted to law enforcement – with its price in privacy and economic growth.”