I'm sure they'll take a victory here over Apple any day as there is more data to be gained here, but the two cases are not that different. Each case is about building a backdoor and each case can really undermine the security that allows our global digital economy to run. To be clear, it'll mostly undermine the US's future role in such an economy as it won't really be able to participate. I just don't understand how people don't see the true consequences of the FBI's actions in these cases. We're not talking about terrorism or a couple dozen murders. We're talking about losing security for good on all our systems and heading into a dark age of computing. How can you even buy something on the Internet if the connections are not secure? Are people really not scared of this?
Some of these companies need to completely move their operations outside the united states.. when tech companies like apple threaten to move their business elsewhere -- the gov't may change their tone.
Or they can stay in the US and give companies outside the US a chance to pick up some business.
This already happens, its good business to NOT do business in the US.