When I consider the subject of privacy, I believe that individuals could be divided into groups, reflecting the degree of impact that privacy has on their everyday lives.
I would rank them as follows, in order of importance of privacy to the group, with group 1 being the most impacted:
1. People or organizations that are doing something illegal, immoral or just plain nasty
2. Everyone else
Examples of individuals and organizations in group 1 would be: Terrorists, murderers, pedophiles, rapists, drug dealers, smugglers, arms dealers, bank robbers, pimps, adulterers [not to be considered an exhaustive list, and the order is not to be construed as any indication of the severity of the wrongdoing].
Many of those in group 1 [in particular, drug dealers, terrorists and members of various criminal organizations] are greatly benefited by the use of cellular phones, but would be negatively impacted by any lack of security associated with the technology. I would consider this a sub-group, and refer to them as group 1(a).
The members of group 1(a) tend to have a lot of money at their disposal, and the discretion and ability to direct large sums towards their communications budget [when compared to what the average individual or family can spend].
This sub-group is the perfect target market for those in the cell phone manufacturing industry for the following reasons:
1. Their operations are generally non-conducive to the use of a land line, due to phone-tapping risk
2. Cell phones can maintain records of business or other activities, in a very portable format
3. Frequent phone number changes are easier when using cellular phones
4. Fewer budgetary restrictions when making hardware purchases
This is why I believe that Apple’s recent marketing campaign will be extremely effective.
Firstly, their brand name has been mentioned in the media on a daily basis for weeks, in the context of Apple’s commitment to their previous, current and future customers.
Secondly, the nature of the conflict with the FBI has served to confirm to their perfect target market [sub-group 1(a)], that the Iphone is the go-to device for those who have something to hide.
I picture drug dealer conventions, where a guest speaker promises that Apple will continue to fight for the privacy of growers, smugglers, distributors, laboratories, street hustlers and users.
I imagine ISIS, Al Qaeda or Al-Shabaab meetings, where leaders addressing their members advocate the use of Apple phones, for the glory of Allah and as a tool of Jihad.
I see organized crime gatherings, where they advocate the use of the Apple phone for business activities, such as transmitting proof of death photos, or keeping track of graft payments [there may even be an app for that].
Marriage counsellors and divorce lawyers are probably not as happy about your recent troubles, as I predict that those engaging in extra-marital affairs will be switching to the Iphone, thus hampering the gathering of any proof or evidence.
I am sure that Apple feels quite proud when promising to protect the secrets of their customers – even those who store pictures or communications on their Iphones relating to unique interests, such as: fetishes [naked children, rape, cannibalism, snuff], or anti-social behaviors [bomb-building, mass shooting, tips for snipers] .
I wonder if Apple has considered renaming the Iphone as the FFBIphone - - short for F**k the FBI phone?
