Apple

Experts in the technology industry are closely watching the Apple–Qualcomm litigation, in which the phone and computer designer has charged the chip-making firm of anticompetitive behavior and the chip maker has retaliated with multiple worldwide patent lawsuits. But the dispute is worth the attention of national security experts, too. Recent developments set up a potentially revealing showdown in the larger context of the Trump administration’s foreign economic policy.

Apple’s recent acquiescence to the Chinese government, both by removing anti-censorship VPN applications and in Tim Cook’s recent speech in China, is not just disturbing because it shows Apple succumbing to Chinese pressure to remove counter-censorship applications and Skype from the Chinese App Store.

Unlike most Silicon Valley companies, Apple’s business model is one of "Data Liability." Unlike Google or Facebook which use advertising to extract value from users’ personal information, Apple focuses on selling things that protect a user's data from all unauthorized access — including by Apple. Basically, Apple views user data as a headache, not a monetization opportunity.

Author’s note: Despite appearing under my byline, this post actually represents the work of a larger group. The “Keys Under Doormats: Mandating Insecurity” group includes Harold Abelson, Ross Anderson, Steven M.