The penultimate episode of Bull’s first season deals with a privacy issue not unlike that which Apple Computers faced in 2016. A computer server company called Heptix is in possession of encrypted computer servers that likely contain information leading to terrorists. The federal government requests the company unlock the servers. Worried that their customers will no longer trust Heptix to store data if they comply, the company refuses. Although the precise posturing on the case is unclear—Heptix’s lawyer asks the jury “to vote not guilty on the government’s motion”(?)—but suffice it to say Dr. Bull represents the company.
When this case emerged in real life, it set off a firestorm of opinions. You’ll remember that the FBI called upon Apple to unlock the encrypted iPhone of the attacker who killed 14 people in San Bernardino, California; Apple refused. At the time, some accused the company of being anti-American for refusing to help, while others celebrated its stand against surveillance. Note that a big difference between that case and Dr. Bull’s is that Apple was being asked to create a new decryption key, whereas Heptix already has one. Regardless, both cases pose a central question of political life in twenty-first century America: To what extent should citizens forfeit their right to privacy in the name of national security? Enter the jury.
