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WSJ/NBC poll shows public support for Apple’s side of FBI battle growing, now close to even split

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While an earlier public poll showed the majority of the public siding with the FBI in the dispute over whether Apple should be forced to help the government break into an iPhone, the public mood appears to be shifting. A WSJ/NBC poll shows that, overall, American voters are now almost evenly split on the issue.

Neither the WSJ nor NBC has yet released the full poll – only the results relating to the Republican primary race – but CNET has reported the numbers.

Overall, American voters are evenly divided over whether Apple should cooperate with FBI efforts to crack open a terrorist’s iPhone.

47 percent said they feared the government wouldn’t go far enough in protecting national security, while 44 percent feared it would intrude too far into citizens’ privacy.

As you’d expect, there was a significant difference in views among registered Republicans and Democrats …

While the wording of the poll appears to stop short of specifically naming Apple and the FBI, it seems likely that the majority of those questioned would provide the same response to both the general question and the case in hand.

Republicans favored the government’s position 57% to 37%, while Democrats sided with Apple 50% to 40%. Strongest support for Apple was among independent voters, who back Apple by a 2-to-1 ratio, at 58% to 28%.

An earlier poll of 9to5Mac readers shows overwhelming support for Apple’s stand.

It will be interesting to see how public opinion responds to the increasingly strident war of words between the two sides.

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Comments

  1. AeronPeryton - 8 years ago

    “close to even split” AHAHAHAHA!!!

    So now support for Apple’s position on privacy is exactly like their PC marketshare. It’s way higher pedestrian media is willing to admit.

  2. Doug Aalseth - 8 years ago

    Am I the only one that thinks the guy in the picture looks like Leonard from The Big Bang Theory?

  3. b9bot - 8 years ago

    Still a lot of ignorant people out there who are supporting the FBI on this. They don’t realize it isn’t just one iPhone and one company it is all phones, all companies, all services. If they win everyone loses and nobody will have any privacy anymore. What’s worse is internationally any country can ask for all of your data. Imagine you work for a company and use your phone for work. All that data that is supposed to be top secret is now open to everyone at anytime.

    • Edison Wrzosek - 8 years ago

      And that is what the FBI (and other “intelligence” agencies across the entire planet) are betting on, that they can keep manipulating the situation in the eyes of the incredibly gullible and ignorant population we’ve brainwashed into existence, so they can continue their agenda’s of turning the US, UK, and other places into police states.

      This Apple vs FBI has ramifications that go FAR beyond not only this one case/situation, but encompass the very foundations of our rights to privacy and security, and must be met with every weapon in our arsenal to defeat them (the “agencies”). All I can say is I’m so thankful we finally have a 5,000lb. gorilla standing up for what’s right in the face of such blatant disregard for our rights!

  4. PMZanetti - 8 years ago

    “Overall, American voters are evenly divided over whether Apple should cooperate with FBI efforts to crack open a terrorist’s iPhone.”

    Yes, because the mainstream media continues to control the narrative, as always.

    If they were presented with the HONEST narrative, it wouldn’t be even.

    “Overall, American votes are evenly divided over whether Apple should remove security from iOS in order to cooperate with the FBI efforts to crack open a terrorist’s iPhone.”

  5. Edison Wrzosek - 8 years ago

    If people were to go to places like The Intercept for their news, the polls would so a MUCH different result. Alas, people are so brainwashed, that they’ve been told news outlets like Intercept are “propaganda” and should be avoided, quite laughable since all mainstream media is the propaganda!

  6. John Smith - 8 years ago

    There’s been a deluge of alarmist claims in the press – opening up this phone will be like cancer, the end of America etc etc

    Government needs to bring another few cases where Apple is obstructing child molester investigations – see if the public will support Apple on that, or even if Apple will like the publicity.

    • focher - 8 years ago

      Nice try. It was actually your guy that argued this iPhone contains a “cyber pathogen”. Your side is using scare tactics and rhetoric, Apple has laid out the facts and the consequences if they’re forced to do this.

      Answer this, once a government can force Apple to provide this backdoor are American diplomats, military, or other government agents allowed to use iPhones? I sure hope not, although there aren’t any alternatives left if the government is really given this power.

  7. Curt Shilling - 8 years ago

    Should the FBI release the San Bernardino surveillance video??

    Apple wants to verify the official story.

  8. John Smith - 8 years ago

    “47 percent said they feared the government wouldn’t go far enough in protecting national security, while 44 percent feared it would intrude too far into citizens’ privacy.”

    If this is how the question is worded – government intruding into citizens privacy – then it cannot be relied upon. Writing poll questions is very complex to avoid bias. The wording suggested above would be akin to the FBI running a poll asking ‘Should techno companies support the fight against terrorism?’

    Of course – for whatever reason – the full details of the poll have not been released.

Author

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Ben Lovejoy

Ben Lovejoy is a British technology writer and EU Editor for 9to5Mac. He’s known for his op-eds and diary pieces, exploring his experience of Apple products over time, for a more rounded review. He also writes fiction, with two technothriller novels, a couple of SF shorts and a rom-com!


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