IMO the US intelligence apparatus likely already has Apple&#x27;s publisher keys (we know they had Microsoft&#x27;s at one point for Stuxnet, so this is entirely plausible). The FBI is far less advanced than the NSA&#x2F;CIA on computer crime&#x2F;crypto, likely to the point the NSA&#x2F;CIA would not share information with them for fear of its existence being leaked through an overzealous investigation of a mass shooter who almost certainly never interacted with anyone in ISIS of any importance.<p>This is probably a gambit by the FBI to get access to this type of data for their other criminal investigations. If it is publicly known that the FBI has a way to break iPhones, they can lean on the NSA&#x2F;CIA to provide more effective methods (without breaking cover of the existence of those methods.)<p>IMO a better tactic is the one the NSA has taken: let the industry build it, and we will hack it. This is just better tradecraft because it lulls targets into a false sense of security. Look at the engineering behind Stuxnet and the Equation Group viruses - these guys are obviously in another league from the FBI (and likely even from Apple). Given the gap in skills and mission, I don&#x27;t blame them for not trusting the FBI.