Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg stated his support for Apple in its phone encryption battle with the FBI about creating a backdoor to hack an iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino shooters. Zuckerberg made the statement on February 22, Monday at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, following similar support from Microsoft, Google, Twitter, and WhatsApp.
Facebook's chief executive stated that his social network believes in encryption. He explained that it should not be blocked from mainstream products people use.
Zuckerberg stated that he is against requiring tech companies to use backdoors with encryption. He does not believe it will boost security or is the best choice due to the direction of the tech world.
Although Zuckerberg stated that he believes in strong encryption he also supports the government in its war on terrorism. He stated that if users of the world's largest social network promote terrorism or groups such as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) they will be kicked off Facebook, according to The Verge.
Zuckerberg stated that if his company has chances to work with governments to prevent terrorist attacks it will do that. He believes his company has a big responsibility to help keep society safe.
Other tech giants have also sided with Apple in its battle with the FBI over encryption. Zuckerberg's statements echoed those from Google CEO Sundar Pichai and WhatsApp founder Jan Koum.
The FBI is trying to force Apple to write code to allow law enforcement to unlock the iPhone 5c used by a terrorist involved in the San Bernardino shooting.
Facebook also issued a public statement last week about the matter. It stated that it will fight against companies being required to weaken their systems' security, and that the FBI's demands of Apple would block companies from securing their products.
Facebook and several other tech giants reject the idea that tech companies should create backdoors for law enforcement and intelligence agencies, according to USA Today. That would allow them to bypass the encryption on devices such as smartphones and tablets.
Google's CEO Pichai was the first major tech company's chief executive to side with Apple. He tweeted on February 17, Wednesday that using backdoors could reduce users' privacy.
Here's more about the legal battle between Apple and the FBI: