Fifty-one percent of respondents said Apple should take steps to “unlock” the device, which the company could do by disabling a feature that wipes the phone’s storage after 10 incorrect passcode attempts. Meanwhile, just 38 percent said Apple should keep that protection in place, and 11 percent said they weren’t sure what to think.
The findings are grim news for Apple, a company that has sought to position itself as a champion of privacy. In recent months, chief executive Tim Cook has vocally opposed efforts by some government officials to gain access to iOS. In a letter to employees Monday, Cook said that consumers’ data is “under siege.”
But the latest Pew poll suggests most Americans disagree with Cook. Security officials and some lawmakers say there is no reason why Apple devices should not be expected to comply with lawful requests for information by the authorities. Officials have criticized Apple’s position as a “marketing strategy,” something Apple has denied.
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