All of this could have been avoided if Apple had designed the iPhone without a security flaw in the first place. Security on the iPhone is already weak by failed design. That is a particular shortcoming of those phones. It's easy to avoid and other phones from more competent makers don't have this problem.
FBI just wants to take advantage of Apple's muck up and contary to what Apple claims, the court order has no bearing on the security of future iPhones—that is if Apple fixes the problem with the iPhone 7. Getting metadata relies on the security flaw in that particular iPhone. And so what? The government can force a bank to open your safe deposity box or a landlord to open your apartment. They can access your locked desk, your journal, your medical records. Based on what legal theory shouldn't they be able to demand access to the contents of someone's phone/computer? Corporations court ordered to provide access to where private information is stored is not new legalism. FBI always has a right to demand access to evidence. The question is whether a company can actually provide that evidence. Right now, Apple can provide access to that evidence because of flaw in the iPhone design. If the iPhone had security like Samsung phones, they could respond to the FBI by saying: Sorry, lads, there's no way of doing that.
And that would be that. The FBI is not demanding that future phones are designed to facilitate access for them. That's a legislative battle that rages on separately from the FBI demands in this particular case.
The issue here is that Apple's magical prodcut is supposes to provide a level of technical protection and it doesn't. It just doesn't. Can't say that about Samsung, though.
Complying with the court order sets no precedent because it doesn't limit Apple's ability to create an infallibly secured phone, like Samsung does because of their superior Korean craftsmenship and engineering. No manufacturer can help the government recover encryption keys from a correctly implemented system. Nothing nefarious about FBI askng Apple to help exploit an already flawed and weak cryptosystem. Giving them that help doesn't change anything about the ability to build stronger cryptographic systems that cannot break.
Tim Cook's stance isn't a moral one. Apple messed up by selling a phone with a security flaw and now he wants to save face. There's no point in debating the FBI on this one. Mr. Cook, with all due respect, the only way to secure information on a phone is to make sure that the information is technically secure. Complying with the court order will not set any precedent, nor does it create tools that will compromise privacy or security in the future. Just comply and make sure the iPhone 7 doesn't have this design flaw and be done with it. You guys screwed up. First, with the design flaw in your stupid, overrated phone, and then in handling this situation like a child who doesn't want to do his homework.
Also, enough with 16 GB devices. That's the real crime here, folks.