Apple's most senior software engineer has penned an article for the Washington Post that explains his frustration with the FBI's request to crack the protection of an iPhone used by a terrorist.
Joining the ongoing debate into the phone of one of the San Bernardino terrorists, Craig Federighi - a regular on-stage presence in Apple's huge announcement events - explained that this could not be seen as an isolated case.
The engineer, writing in the biggest newspaper for the political center as well as the USA capital city, reiterated much of what Tim Cook had earlier written, but did add his own personal perspective.
"I became an engineer because I believe in the power of technology to enrich our lives," he wrote. "Great software has seemingly limitless potential to solve human problems — and it can spread around the world in the blink of an eye."
Harm millions
"Malicious code moves just as quickly, and when software is created for the wrong reason, it has a huge and growing capacity to harm millions of people," he added.
Federighi suggested that the FBI could end up being a barrier to innovation, adding: "We cannot afford to fall behind those who would exploit technology in order to cause chaos.
"To slow our pace, or reverse our progress, puts everyone at risk."
