After a fierce public debate, the U.S. government has dropped it’s court order and court case to compel Apple to create a new version of iOS to access a phone. Here’s Bloomberg:

The U.S. said it has gained access to the data on the iPhone used by a terrorist and no longer needs Apple Inc.’s assistance, marking an end to a legal clash that was poised to redraw boundaries between personal privacy and national security in the mobile Internet age.

It’s the nature of government abuse of power that these debates are never “won” with any permanence, but when a power like this is ceded, it is never returned. So while I hesitate to call this a victory, I’m certainly pleased with the result.

The U.S. government continues to do the right thing after all other options have been ruled out.