Look, if the government tells Apple to do something, then Apple can push back, but then has to do it or pull out of the country. That's the way it was, and is.
Now, what has actually changed? The two compelling push-back against a country's demands for more surveillance etc. are:
a) it is not technically feasible (eg, wiretapping E2EE chats), and
b) it is making the device insecure vis-a-vis hackers and criminals (eg, putting in a backdoor)
The interesting question is: Have these defences against government demands been weakened by this new technology? Maybe they have, that would be my gut feeling. But it is not enough to assert it, one must show it.
Now, what has actually changed? The two compelling push-back against a country's demands for more surveillance etc. are:
a) it is not technically feasible (eg, wiretapping E2EE chats), and
b) it is making the device insecure vis-a-vis hackers and criminals (eg, putting in a backdoor)
The interesting question is: Have these defences against government demands been weakened by this new technology? Maybe they have, that would be my gut feeling. But it is not enough to assert it, one must show it.