This was exactly my thought when I read this article. But the scariest thing is that, what US Govt decides have huge implications for the whole world!
Having a backdoor in software NOT only enables US government and other cyber criminals to have access. It also enables other governments like Russian, Chinese, Israilean, North Korean governments too! Keep that in mind too.
Australia has already made way for other nations to follow suit this year. We have a history with low gun violence, encryption or lack thereof had nothing to do with that.
Sure, but your low gun violence didn't just happen. People used to have guns, they liked their guns, but there were shootings. People including politicians realized they could do something about it. Some gun owners hated that, but shootings all but stopped. You're really the example that all "guns don't kill people" arguers hate having to try and explain away.
It's worth pointing out that quoting this list is a little disingenuous. Considering only items on the list starting in 2000, only a third (8) appear to have involved firearms.
Did you even read that list? That list only helps the point. We haven't had a public mass shooting in decades. The more recent incidents have been arson, car attacks, or murders of people known to eachother, and they have had significantly lower impacts.
Of course, my point was just that it had nothing to do with encryption or the recent laws subverting encryption in Australia. It's worth noting, because you can be sure we will be used as an example to try and push these kinds of laws in other countries.
On the plus side, all the IT jobs we're losing here in Australia might come back when the US starts routing all their traffic through here so they can spy on US citizens!
Chinese and Russian governments already got access to every local device, even from Apple itself, with no protest from anyone. Israel can apparently hack into the devices without a backdoor (according to Cellebrite), and isn't a justified part of your list - it's a democracy not a dictatorship. NK doesn't allow any devices, not that it bothers with any excuses.
I really doubt nearly all iPhone users use iCloud. The ones on Hacker News might. I think a regular person would just shrug at prompts to set it up.
I feel like most times I hear iCloud mentioned by non techies they are confused about what it is. Like when their storage is out and they get nagged about it.
Having a backdoor in software NOT only enables US government and other cyber criminals to have access. It also enables other governments like Russian, Chinese, Israilean, North Korean governments too! Keep that in mind too.