Ah, but the point of free speech is not that you are shielded from the consequences of the action of your speech.
In your example, giving instructions that destroys evidence can certainly make you guilty of obstruction of justice or some other similar crime. But the point is, the government cannot either compel you to give those instructions, or compel you to not give them. They don't have the right to do that - at least not until they've convicted you of a crime that allows them to restrict your rights. If you're a free citizen, you can give whatever instructions to your computer you damn well please - and then face the consequences, which may be to make you a criminal.
What the government ends up arguing in the Apple case, is they want to make you work to figure out what a "10101..." is that will break your own products and make you say it (to the right phone... and then the next phone, and the next). This, they want to do, even though you have not committed any crime. That is the issue at stake.
As a free, lawful person you have the right to decide for yourself whether you're going to say something that you disagree with ethically and commercially. The FBI wants to take away your right to make that decision. They want, without even having legislated on the topic, to force you to say what they want you to say "because terrorists".
In your example, giving instructions that destroys evidence can certainly make you guilty of obstruction of justice or some other similar crime. But the point is, the government cannot either compel you to give those instructions, or compel you to not give them. They don't have the right to do that - at least not until they've convicted you of a crime that allows them to restrict your rights. If you're a free citizen, you can give whatever instructions to your computer you damn well please - and then face the consequences, which may be to make you a criminal.
What the government ends up arguing in the Apple case, is they want to make you work to figure out what a "10101..." is that will break your own products and make you say it (to the right phone... and then the next phone, and the next). This, they want to do, even though you have not committed any crime. That is the issue at stake.
As a free, lawful person you have the right to decide for yourself whether you're going to say something that you disagree with ethically and commercially. The FBI wants to take away your right to make that decision. They want, without even having legislated on the topic, to force you to say what they want you to say "because terrorists".