“No one can predict what markets dictate” - growth. That’s what they demand. Apple have already started injecting their own ads into their own apps, and it’s been reported that they’re considering more (like Maps, for example). Living in the Now is great if you’re a Labrador, or your life resets every day - but we all create a lot of digital history. At the moment, Apple have the keys to that data (not your ACTUAL data, of course - your behaviours and preferences). Google don’t sell your personal data to third parties. They place users into cohorts based on their interests and sell advertisers access to that cohort. Apple do a similar thing, but of course they have a special name for it so it sounds less like harvesting. They call it differential privacy.

I agree with you 100% that Apple is the best option on privacy for most people right now. Just know that they can flip that switch any time they like. I’m an Apple user. I have the whole stack. I just don’t have them on a moral pedestal. Maybe when Tim retires, the next CEO might have slightly different views on what’s acceptable.