Well, they can access Apple-specific data. not just geolocation, SMS and call logs. Anyone in government can get those with hardly even a warrant.
The backdoors need to be introduced now that people OWN their phones. If you’re financing it through a contract.. It’s not yours.
That’s been the line of thinking until recently.
Yes, it is. You've bought the phone on time. Check the contract. If you end the contract early, you owe for the balance due which reduces according to the amount of time left on the contract. The purchase is just buried in the contract, and the user owns the handset, otherwise the carrier would be responsible for repairs to the handset.