Bill Gates Weighs in on Apple Controversy; Telegram Founder Asked about App's Secrecy
ASHER: You're watching CNN and this is CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Zain Asher. Welcome back. Demonstrations are taking place today to back a decision by Apple not to unlock the iPhone of San Bernardino shooter Sayed Farouk. Here in the U.S., protests are expected outside Apple stores in 30 cities. But a new poll suggests that 51 percent of people surveyed think Apple should unlock the iPhone. And that number could include Bill Gates himself, although Gates now says the headlines he supports FBI went a little bit too far; here is part of what he told the "Financial Times."</s>BILL GATES, ENTREPRENEUR: Apple has access to the information. They're just refusing to provide the access and the courts will tell them whether to provide the access or not. You shouldn't call the access some special thing. It's no different than, you know, should anybody have ever been able to tell the phone company to get information; bank records, should anybody be able to get at bank records? There's no difference between information. The government's come asking for a specific set of information.</s>ASHER: For more on this I'm joined by CNNMoney's Samuel Burke. So the fact that Bill Gates, at least on the surface, appears to support the FBI, how surprising is that?</s>SAMUEL BURKE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's a huge shock for a lot of people in the tech community. You see Facebook, Twitter, every big tech company out there, as well as some medium and small ones that I'm speaking with, come out in defense of Apple. And so he's really broken ranks here. And of course he is one of the tech giants of his time. So people really listen. That said, some of the tech executives with whom I've spoken said they really don't feel that he's -- they feel that he's mischaracterizing, even though he's saying Apple is doing it, they feel like he's mischaracterizing, even some said misunderstanding what Apple was trying to do with their encryption here. So definitely this is something that Apple didn't want and it's also something that the United States government definitely would like to have. They would like to have more tech executives coming out in their favor. So this is -- bodes well for the FBI for sure.</s>ASHER: And Samuel, we need you to look into your crystal ball for me. You've been covering this story for quite a while now. Despite the outcry, despite the protests in support of Apple, can Apple really fight the U.S. government and win?</s>BURKE: That's a really good point, Zain, because what I'm hearing from the people who support Apple, they say, wow, thank God it's not my company having to do that, because they realize there is a huge burden on Apple to try and explain this very complicated scenario. And they have to have a lot of money to do it. You showed the opinion polls. And the fact that the FBI has chosen and many people do believe that they have specifically chosen this case, to bring it to the public, makes it that much more difficult. You look at those attacks in California. Many people might consider them terrorist attacks. And you think I don't want that to happen to me. If I have to give up some security, I'm willing to do that. So this is a case that is definitely going to be an uphill battle for Apple, no matter what happens.</s>ASHER: And, Samuel, for those of us who are not techies, who are not tech geeks, tech experts, just explain why is it that Apple and the phone companies can't give information on the phone to the FBI without having to create completely new software. Why not?</s>BURKE: You and I have reported on so many hackings. And people have said we want the companies to do something. Well, this has been Apple's response to hacking, to make a system so secure that not even Apple can get into it. Now they can rebuild the system, which is what Apple is saying they will have to do, they'll have to completely rebuild iOS, the operating system of Apple, to get back in and then they could do it. But they are worried, as are many other tech companies, that if they build a back door, the United States government will come again and again, as will hackers through that back door and possibly even other governments.</s>ASHER: So this fight could get ugly. I cannot wait to see how it turns out, though.</s>ASHER: Samuel Burke, live for us there in London, I think. Thank you so much. I appreciate that.</s>BURKE: London.</s>ASHER: Concerns about privacy are leading some to look for more secure ways to send information. That's where apps like Telegram come in, it allows people to safely send encrypted messages. But what happens when dangerous people take advantage of such technology? Telegram's cofounder spoke exclusively to our Erin McLaughlin. Take a listen.</s>ERIN MCLAUGHLIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is the man at the center of the global encryption debate. Russian exile Pavel Durov says he prefers to remain in the shadows. A self-described introvert, normally he doesn't give television interviews. Durov says he wants to explain the company he co-founded, Telegram. It's a messaging app that you download for free on your smartphone. Telegram offers encrypted communication, the kind authorities can't easily intercept. The app's found on the phones of journalists, activists and business leaders. But Telegram has a darker side. It was also found on terrorists' phones on the bloodied streets of Paris.</s>MCLAUGHLIN: Did that thought cross your mind, when you saw what was happening in Paris, that Telegram could be involved? Did you think about it?</s>PAVEL DUROV, TECH ENTREPRENEUR: You know, of course, we are concerned about the potential use of the technology we make.</s>MCLAUGHLIN: So you were concerned?</s>DUROV: Of course.</s>MCLAUGHLIN (voice-over): ISIS later used Telegram to claim responsibility for the attacks.</s>MCLAUGHLIN: Do you feel that Telegram is in any way responsible for what happened?</s>DUROV: I don't think so. They were also using iPhones and Android phones and microchips. It's kind of misleading to say that we were responsible or any other tech company's responsible for that.</s>MCLAUGHLIN (voice-over): But many say technology is part of the problem.</s>DAVID CAMERON, PRIME MINISTER, GREAT BRITAIN: In our country, do we want to allow a means of communication between people which even in extremis, with a signed warrant from the home secretary personally, that we cannot read?</s>DUROV: You cannot make messaging technology secure for everybody except for terrorists. So it's either secure or not secure.</s>MCLAUGHLIN: This isn't just about terrorism, it's also about criminals, drugs, human traffickers, pedophiles, all have access to your app.</s>DUROV: When I was living in Russia a few years ago, all of these activities were used as a pretext to monitor the communication of Russian citizens and then, in many cases, used to suppress dissidents and liberal thinking.</s>MCLAUGHLIN (voice-over): It was 2011. Mass opposition protests in the streets of Moscow. Durov was the CEO of the company he founded, VK, Russia's equivalent to Facebook. He says he publicly refused to block pages of Russian opposition activists.</s>DUROV: I had a group of armed policemen trying to get into my home. Then I started to think about ways to, like, defend myself, get in touch with my brother. And I realized that there are very few options for us to communicate securely.</s>MCLAUGHLIN (voice-over): Durov eventually lost control of VK and left Russia. He started Telegram, believing people have a right to secure communication. The question many are now asking -- at what price?</s>ASHER: That was our Erin McLaughlin reporting there. Live from CNN Center, this is CONNECT THE WORLD. Coming up, its economy is in difficulty but South Africa's wine industry is, in fact, booming. We will take a look at why it is now said to be the seventh biggest wine producer in the world. You won't want to miss that story. And in tonight's "Parting Shots," we'll show you Leonardo DiCaprio's twin. Well, kind of. This Russian man the one on the right of course, has been gaining fame for resembling the Hollywood star. That's coming up in just a moment.