Summary+Doc-Case+Study +building+a+ Backdoor +to+the+iphone

The tools necessary to deal with ethical dilemmas to analyse a case in terms of ethical concepts and
the various responsibilities of business executives were discussed. The case of ‘Building a backdoor
to the iPhone: An ethical dilemma’ was evaluated using various frameworks learnt throughout the
course and other possible courses of action were explored.
Hard moral choices are, at times, the inescapable burden of men and women in positions of power.
Joseph L. Badaracco discusses the moral responsibilities of executives in his paper titled ‘Business
Ethics: Four Spheres of Executive Responsibility’. Some important points mentioned in the paper are
as follows.
Moral claims arising from different spheres of responsibility often collide with each other. Four
questions that represent important voices in this long conversation are listed below.
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In February 2016, Tim Cook, Apple’s chief executive officer (CEO), challenged a US Federal Court
order directing Apple to assist the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in a case involving
suspected international terrorism by providing the FBI with access to encrypted data on the
iPhone by creating a ‘backdoor’, providing access to the terrorist’s phone. However, this
compromised Apple’s position on protecting its customers’ digital privacy and security.
Executive management decisions are of two kinds.
Should Apple protect customer privacy and security? Or, should it cooperate with the US
government and law-enforcement agencies to unlock the terrorist’s iPhone, which would help
national security? These were a few of the dilemmas faced by Tim Cook. Also, the misuse of this
technology by both government and unscrupulous agents was a concern.
The primary responsibilities of Tim Cook and the question of the dilemma are addressed using
Badaracco’s Four Spheres of Commitment framework as shown below.

Badaracco’s Four-Question framework is used to understand how to resolve right-versus-right
dilemmas.
Alternative ways that Cook could have responded are as follows.
Apple’s decision met with a mixed response from its peers in the industry. Meanwhile, a poll
conducted by Morning Consult revealed that over half of voters who polled online favoured Apple
acceding to the US government’s demands to unlock the iPhone. However, the poll itself had
differing results based on political affiliations, age and income groups of those who polled.

Meanwhile, FBI announced that it had successfully unlocked the terrorist’s iPhone with the help of
a ‘third party’ and withdrew its litigation against Apple. However, the debate regarding privacy
versus security continues.
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What ethical dilemma did Tim Cook face regarding unlocking an iPhone?

How did Tim Cook resolve the dilemma using Badaracco's framework?

The tools necessary to deal with ethical dilemmas to analyse a case in terms of ethical concepts and

© Copyright. UpGrad Education Pvt. Ltd. All rights reserved

Executive management decisions are of two kinds.

© Copyright. UpGrad Education Pvt. Ltd. All rights reserved

Alternative ways that Cook could have responded are as follows.

© Copyright. UpGrad Education Pvt. Ltd. All rights reserved

© Copyright. UpGrad Education Pvt. Ltd. All rights reserved

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