To be clear I don't support laws mandating the weakening of encryption in any form. If someone wants good security they should have it. However, most users don'

To be clear I don't support laws mandating the weakening of encryption in any form. If someone wants good security they should have it. However, most users don't want to enter a strong password every time they unlock their phone. Apple chose the pin length based on a balance of what the user would be willing to actually use and the security it provides. Meanwhile biometrics provide stronger keys combined with convenience, but are more prone to abuse (forcibly pressing users finger to unlock during stop and frisk, etc). Security would be better served if device manufactures encouraged pins over biometrics, even though they can be brute forced, since they better protect against the most common abuses, and put a price on whether it is worthwhile to brute force.