USA TODAY

We asked what followers thought of a federal judge ordering Apple to help the FBI unlock the iPhone of a San Bernardino, Calif., attacker. Letter to the editor:

I find it sadly ironic that Apple is standing up to the FBI by claiming government overreach and asserting that it (Apple) is on the right side of this issue.

Apple is on the right side of profit — as usual. If siding with the FBI would sell more devices, Apple would have a much different position.

One must realize that if an employee of Apple were plotting to steal its ideas, intellectual property or products, and evidence existed on his or her Apple corporate phone, Apple engineers would have that phone unlocked forthwith.

We all have the expectation of privacy, but in a sane world there are limitations. I find it inarguable that the San Bernardino, Calif., terrorist attacks wouldn’t qualify as one of those exceptions.

Ira Israel; Oro Valley, Ariz.

POLICING THE USA: A look at race, justice, media

Comments from Twitter are edited for clarity and grammar:

Apple absolutely must be required to help when private technology becomes a national security issue.

— @MarkByers17

I’m absolutely against the court order, and I think people who’re for it haven’t considered the implications.

— @karlaarcher

Compelling Apple to help should not be allowed. This is the real test for our privacy/security moving forward.

— @bobluken1

If a judge issues a warrant, Apple should comply or face consequences. These warrants have to be selective.

— @SlippyField

The FBI is asking Apple to develop new software, not just provide access. That is problematic.

— @Brewers_Fan7

My biggest issue is that this software could get into the wrong hands or the government may use it to spy.

— @JBOworld

We live in a different world where these infringements may be necessary to stop and convict terrorists.

— @GeeksPCFix

The terrorist's iPhone: Our view

Comments from Facebook are edited for clarity and grammar:

This court fight between the FBI and Apple is really just the government trying to set a precedent. I seriously doubt there’s any real information to be obtained here on the iPhone of one of the San Bernardino killers.

But Apple and the other tech companies are getting tired of being bullied by secret court orders and are pushing back.

— John McIntosh

It’s one thing to disallow others from unlocking phones, but if Apple refuses a request by the FBI to unlock a phone of a terrorist — sorry, but I hope Apple gets burned.

— Jim Stone

I stand with Apple and don’t own any Apple products. Once you lose rights, you never get them back. We keep losing them in the name of national security.

— Richard Corey

For more discussions, follow @USATOpinion or #tellusatoday.