Apple, the FBI, and Compelled Government Access to Consumer Devices and Data 
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Wednesday, May 4, 2016 John Villasenor
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ABSTRACT:
What obligations should American technology companies have to facilitate government access to consumer devices and data? While this issue has been a recurring topic of discussion for decades, it was brought into sharp relief earlier this year in a high profile, now-averted legal battle between the government and Apple over access to an iPhone used by one of the perpetrators of the December 2015 San Bernardino attack. While that particular dispute is no longer in the courts, Apple and the government are continuing to face off in several other ongoing cases related to iPhone access.
This talk, which is intended to be highly interactive, will explore the technological, legal, policy, and business implications of government-mandated “back doors” and related frameworks for compelled access. It will include a discussion of the historical context, an overview of some of the key legal frameworks, a review of the current technology landscape, and a discussion of the broader implications of compelled government access with respect to privacy, security, the U.S. technology sector, and the global market for digital products and services.
BIOGRAPHY:
John Villasenor is on the faculty at UCLA, where he is a professor of electrical engineering, public policy, and management, as well as a visiting professor of law. He is also a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington and a National Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford.
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