My understanding is that it is only after Apple failed at setting up their own advertising business that they jumped into the privacy bandwagon. - Introduction

My understanding is that it is only after Apple failed at setting up their own advertising business that they jumped into the privacy bandwagon. - Introduction iAd: 2010 - Introduction of iMessage with end-to-end encryption: 2011 - Introduction of the secure enclave: 2013 (iPhone 5s). Remember that Apple plans several years ahead, so the secure enclave was probably already in the cards ~2011. - Shutdown iAd: 2016 The timelines just don't match up. Apple has been pursuing a focus on encryption and privacy since at least 2011. Remember that Apple was the first to roll out an end-to-end encrypted messenger to hunderds of million users, years before WhatsApp. (I am not contesting that their focus on privacy is for marketing reasons. We don't know, it could be or Tim Cook has strong beliefs on this topic.)