Technology

Encryption, Backdoors, And The All Writs Act Explained By John Oliver

The Last Week Tonight host tackles Apple's clash with the government over iPhone security with trademark wit.

Apple logo LFIf you’ve been following the government’s ongoing efforts to “convince Apple to unlock one murderer’s phone” or “undermine the reliability of security features on every phone in the world” — depending on your stance on the case — then you’ve heard a whole lot of techno-legal jargon. Maybe you understand it all. More likely you have a tenuous grasp on what’s really going on here but won’t let that stop you from arguing for a half-baked legislative solution.

Now there are a few ways to get yourself up to speed with the difficult legal issues at play. If you’re the sort of person who gets off on reading carefully considered briefs, you can tackle Apple’s 65-page behemoth. Or you could watch John Oliver break down all the angles in one of his trademark deep dives.

“Join us as we dance madly on the lip of the volcano” is the best corporate slogan ever thought up. Sure beats the hell out of “Think different.”