A legal battle is brewing between the FBI and Apple as U.S. officials seek to unlock the iPhone of San Bernardino shooter Syed Farook. Perhaps the most important aspect of the case is the wider debate it has inspired about data security and privacy laws. The highly publicized dispute highlights the persistent challenge that the United States faces in its policies: The government plays the role of a partner, not a leader, in information security. It relies on the private sector for both its infrastructure and its data monitoring strategy, whether that cooperation is conscious or not. As consumer demand for privacy grows and the global environment that U.S. technology companies navigate evolves, their willingness to publicly challenge Washington's attempts to monitor information will likely grow. And so, regardless of how Apple's legal dispute with the FBI plays out, the interests of U.S. technology companies will become increasingly less aligned...
