About This Lesson
Explore the debate presented by this bill around the balance of data privacy and the needs of law enforcement to investigate crimes.
Students consider questions of data security, privacy, and safety as they consider legislation proposed to aid law enforcement and keep the public safe. The personal data stored in our devices tells a story about who we are and can be of use in a criminal investigation. But when confiscated devices are locked, law enforcement requires the help of technology devices to break security features and access a device?s data. Technology companies argue that consequences of creating this software could mean that personal data is compromised for everyone. In this bill, proposed after the standoff between Apple and the FBI after the 2015 terrorist attack in San Bernardino, California, students decide if the benefit of creating this software outweighs the cost.
Use this lesson plan to explore the issue and prepare to conduct a Senate debate on a related bill.
