IMO the main issue is how far the government can lawfully push a third party to help with an ongoing investigation. Putting aside the technical issues for a mi

IMO the main issue is how far the government can lawfully push a third party to help with an ongoing investigation. Putting aside the technical issues for a minute, let's say everyone agrees Apple ought to help the US government's investigation of the San Bernideno terrorism case. Fine, and Apple might want to help, but how does their desire to help weigh against the hassle and expense of creating a new build of the OS every time something bad happens? Will it eventually get to a point where every impounded phone, of which I have to believe there are millions, can have a warrant issued and Apple has to help get the data out? They'd have to set up an entire department just to comply with the FBI's requests. At the scale of global law enforcement, it doesn't look so unreasonable that this ongoing nusiance will cost a ton of money and impair their ability to operate for their shareholders. There's the encryption stuff, and how we have a right to privacy, but the real question is just how far a company has to go when the government asks for help with an investigation.