[mindslight]

In addition to lobbying against the government in this case, we should loudly criticize Apple for putting this backdoor in their design!

Let's invert the use of the "ticking bomb" propaganda - say we've got a phone with data that can prevent an eminent attack. What person is going to say we shouldn't unlock the phone, because it would set a bad precedent? I'm a steadfast believer in the idea that computing devices should be private extensions of one's mind, but I would still say it's stupid to not hack into such a device if it can be done!

If you want a device that guarantees individual privacy against the manufacturer/USG, it has to be designed for such. You can't build an insecure system and then expect an A for effort.