NEW YORK — Bill Gates is supportive of investigators’ efforts to force Apple to help them crack into an iPhone used by one of the two San Bernardino, Calif., mass-killing terrorists, saying a balance needs to be struck between government access and the need to preserve data security.
While clarifying that he doesn’t support untrammeled government access to personal data, the Microsoft co-founder’s position runs contrary to those of many tech executives who have backed Apple.
Gates said it’s not uncommon for phone companies and banks to hand over customer information to investigators. In particular, he took issue with Apple CEO Tim Cook’s argument that helping the crack the shooter’s iPhone would set a broader precedent.
But Gates later Tuesday said he was being mischaracterized by the media as backing the FBI. “The extreme view that government always gets everything, nobody supports that,” he told Bloomberg News. “Having the government be blind, people don’t support that.”
