[February 27, 2016] The FBI’s request of Apple, Inc. to break into a dead terrorist ‘s encrypted iPhone has drawn both criticism and praise from leaders. What it does is provide us with an opportunity to see the tenants of senior leaders making their case for and against a difficult issue; in this particular instance – security versus privacy. Who is missing from the issue and has failed to provide real leadership?, was the first question that entered my mind.
Why did the FBI wait so long to make this request? Or, did they request early and Apple stalled? Regardless, this is a long-simmering, core argument that goes to the heart of America’s foundations of freedom and liberty. America is not the only country tied up over this issue. Socialist nations, most often run by dictators, clearly prioritize security first. The U.S. and Europe usually put privacy first. But how to balance both is the real issue and there is no easy answer. That’s why in a democracy that smart leadership is needed to help work through it.
U.S. FBI Director James Comey made a good argument that this is an isolated case of a dead terrorist and thus privacy is a non issue. Apple CEO Tim Cook says that being compelled to help would violate the company’s First and Fifth Constitutional Amendments. But where does the U.S. President Obama stand on it. President Obama should at least lay the groundwork for how this should be argued and he has not done so.
This is where presidential leadership is necessary. President Obama, by failing to step into this argument early, has not upheld his sworn duties and furthermore shows us the results when leadership is not exercised. Obama has enjoyed weighing in on minor issues during his presidency; in situations that are easy to see either side of the issue but when hard issues arise, he is nowhere to be seen.
I was reminded as a new Flag officer in the U.S. Army that my job was to make decisions and provide guidance and balance when all choices are not easy. Anyone can make an easy decision and anyone can make a comment on issues that are clear. Senior leadership however means doing things that are hard, where information is scarce, where there is complexity, ambiguity, and uncertainty.
That is the case we have here: volatility, complexity, ambiguity, and uncertainty muddles the waters on the security versus privacy issue. Leaders who can provide clarity and bring people together simultaneously are true leaders and deserve our respect. At this time, no leader seems to be doing this.
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