Federal officials debated the controversy over Apple and data encryption at TheWrap’s Power Women Breakfast on Thursday.
Commissioner Julie Brill of the Federal Trade Commission, commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel of the Federal Communications Commission, CreativeFuture CEO Ruth Vitale and Karen Appleton, a senior vice president of Box, gathered in Washington to discuss the need for improved data encryption and cyber security, as well as the ever-evolving development of technology and content across new platforms.
TheWrap’s CEO and Editor-in-Chief Sharon Waxman started the conversation with the ongoing debate between the FBI and Apple to unlock the phone of the San Bernardino shooter.
“We need to improve encryption, not tear it apart,” Brill said, urging people in the audience to use the two-factor authentication process to secure their data.
Vitale also spoke on the subject of illegal downloads and its impact on the entertainment industry.
“Piracy is a problem and no one seems to think it’s a big deal, because they think, the people in Hollywood, they’re rich,” she said. “[The entertainment industry] employs 5.5 million people in America, and it’s a $1.1 trillion business. It’s not just rock stars and major directors and major actors, it’s tens of thousands of people on each projection. Less movies are made, less TV shows are made, less people are hired, and it’s a problem.”
Watch the entire panel above.