OK, I realize I must not be getting it.
Why do you think they went after Apple? A mistake or what? Did they want something from Apple they didn’t realize they could get from cellebwhatever, or what?
Freegards
Before this, the FBI, NSA, and all the other law enforcement agencies in the world had tools to open every mobile device in the world. . . except the iOS devices of Apple. They wanted to force Apple to provide them with such a universal iOS tool.
They also wanted to establish a precedent they could through the courts force a manufacturer to install such a backdoor tool. Currently, the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act of 1994, specifically prohibited any law enforcement agency or agent from requiring any manufacturer of telecommunication equipment from installing any software, hardware, feature, or function to any of their devices or directing the design of any of their product to prevent or eliminate or force the decryption of any data on such device or equipment.
They were trying to get around that Federal Law which prohibited them doing what they wanted to do. So they used the All Writs Act to try and force Apple to do what was impermissible for them to do force Apple to do on their own.