Apple will eventually be forced to comply. A few "random" reviews of Apple's current tax practices by the IRS and something will be found amis.
So you're saying our government which has openly stated they won't anymore torture, waterboard, etc. will be ok with blackmail now?
It's all moot anyway. If and when Congress passes 'backdoor' legislation, Apple has no other option than to comply. We, the citizens just have to do all we can to prevent such legislation from being signed into law. Our privacy and freedom hang in the balance. The
EFF and other such organizations are a good place to start.
Call, email, text, tweet, sign petitions etc. till Congress gets the message. We must
demand to know where every candidate up for re-election in November stands on this vital issue.
Unfortunately, other than a quick court order to deal with the current situation, comprehensive 'backdoor' legislation will most likely wait until after the November election. Add to that Obama's stated intention to fill the Supreme Court vacancy left by the passing of Justice Scalia with a Democrat, and things are looking gloomy for personal privacy and not only here in the US, but globally. If the FBI, CIA, NSA etc have backdoor access to our private Data, that will have worldwide implications, far overstepping the US authorities' mandate.
The most troubling aspect for me is the fact that if we go along with this 'security loophole fix', and allow the Fed to legislate mandatory backdoor access all in the name of 'the common good', the bad guys will instantly stop using their iPhones with iOS8 to communicate their evil, horrendous intentions, and they will find alternate methods of communication that are safe from prying eyes, and we will be none more secure than we currently are, all the while having given up our individual privacy for nought.
iOS8 and up has been beautifully designed for virtually airtight security; weakening it is not making us anymore safe, but rather giving the Fed the tools they've always wanted, and with lacking ironclad oversight. We need to fight this crazy backdoor legislation with all we can.