Apple is constantly in the middle of a growing brouhaha over encryption and security, and Tim Cook recently threw down the glove.

In today’s climate, all across the globe, security plays a big role. And, thanks to its decisions to encrypt its software on mobile devices, Apple is usually part of that conversation. Bills have been introduced in different states all trying to tackle encryption in one way or another, usually with Apple finding a way to unlock a device, or otherwise access information inside a secured device, or risk not being able to sell encrypted devices at all.

Many individuals in the United States government, along with many people sitting in important chairs in federal agencies, have tried to convince the populace that Apple’s encryption is making them all inherently unsafe. Because of that encryption, important information that could otherwise be gleaned from an unprotected phone is inaccessible, and therefore that information is unattainable. Of course, the government and those federal agencies have to use potentially disastrous situations to try and win their side of the case, because a secured phone could, potentially, be a deciding factor in stopping an attack, or another attack.

That’s the case with the shooting in San Bernardino, California, where an iPhone 5c was recovered, which belonged to one of the shooters. The government believes that phone, which is actually a work phone and not a personal device, could hold information that pertains to the event in question, or maybe even another attack. There’s obviously no way for the government or federal agencies to know if that is indeed the case, but they have to play in “what if” situations, and that phone is right at the center of it.

So a judge, without Apple being present or able to participate in the proceedings, ordered Apple to help unlock the iPhone 5c. This was always going to happen. And it will happen again. The reason this specific case is important is because, like many previous high-profile cases, it will set a precedence. What happens with this decision will set the groundwork for what happens next. And in every situation beyond. Because while we all wish it wouldn’t, something is going to happen again where a smartphone is an integral piece of evidence, and its contents need to be accessed.

The government wants Apple to create a backdoor into iOS. Apple doesn’t want to create a backdoor into its software, because it says that if it exists, then its accessible by anyone — not just by Apple. Today, where security plays a big part in the safety of millions of people, it isn’t an easy situation. Apple, for its part, is absolutely right in wanting to keep its users’ information safe and secure. The U.S. government is right in wanting to keep people safe.

However, the easy answer isn’t there. Apple could create software that’s accessible, with a key that only they have, and could only unlock a device when requested by a court order and brought to Apple’s HQ. But that software still has an opening, and it wouldn’t be long before someone out there, not in Apple’s shiny tower, cracked it. More to the point, though, even if that scenario existed, the government would eventually say that “time is of the essence,” and request that Apple hand over that key.

It’s a loaded topic that absolutely deserves to have a public debate, by people that are involved with it every single day. A court ordering Apple to help the FBI in their investigation, without Apple’s representatives being present is ridiculous, and that should be almost enough right there for Apple to appeal the decision — which they will most certainly do.

But this is a pivotal moment for Apple, because this is going to make waves one way or another. If Apple does bend to the FBI’s request and the court’s order, then Apple should absolutely, one hundred percent expect that they will be doing it again, and again, and…

Apple’s decision to keep its devices encrypted, for the sake of its customer base’s security, is one that I can respect. And Cook’s open letter is a bold step, even if it might not work out in his favor down the road. Ultimately, there are other ways for peopel to speak to other people anonymously, in secret, and with encryption in place, without even using an Apple device. It will be interesting to see what happens next, to say the least.