Unfortunately they've already managed to convince Apple that its zero-day sharing program is "lawful" and that Apple is doing a good thing there.

Or Apple just conveniently ignored the fact that those zero-days are given to the NSA on a silver platter, so the company can get its Apple Pay integrated with federal services (funny how that deal was announced at the same time Apple agreed to share its zero-days with the government - no? Yet, virtually all the Apple-loving media seemed to conveniently ignore what that meant).

http://www.ibtimes.com/us-federal-government-accept-apple-pa...

Either way, the deed is done, and now the government thinks that if it could convince Apple, then it can convince other weaker-minded people and companies as well. And it's just a matter of putting enough pressure on them (through the new DHS office in Silicon Valley). After all, their deals made with the telecom companies many decades ago worked pretty well - so why not tech companies, too, especially if they promise them immunity from ever having to worry about legal repercussions for their relationship with the NSA.