“As I recall, Apple offered to unlock the phones for the government to have full access”
The FBI first asked the National Security Agency to break into the phone, but they were unable to since they only had knowledge of breaking into other devices that are commonly used by criminals, and not iPhones.[19] As a result, the FBI asked Apple Inc. to create a new version of the phone’s iOS operating system that could be installed and run in the phone’s random access memory to disable certain security features that Apple refers to as “GovtOS”. Apple declined due to its policy which required it to never undermine the security features of its products. The FBI responded by successfully applying to a United States magistrate judge, Sheri Pym, to issue a court order, mandating Apple to create and provide the requested software.[20] The order was not a subpoena, but rather was issued under the All Writs Act of 1789.[21][22] The court order, called In the Matter of the Search of an Apple iPhone Seized During the Execution of a Search Warrant on a Black Lexus IS300, California License Plate 35KGD203, was filed in the United States District Court for the Central District of California.[23][24][25]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FBI%E2%80%93Apple_encryption_dispute
As I said, Apple offered to unlock the phone for the FBI but was not interested in giving them the ability to unlock ANY phone.
That push is not to fight terrorism. It’s to do one thing, and one thing only, and that is further the government’s goal of absolute Mass surveillance over the American people. They claim to own literally every electronic communication in existence, and now they want access to your physical handset also.
And it is not being done to fight terrorism, it’s done to amass information and political power like the coup just showed us.