Thanks Tim Apple. Google would've remained hands-off until the German authorities were at their doorstep, begging for a solution, had it not been for Apple forc

Thanks Tim Apple. Google would've remained hands-off until the German authorities were at their doorstep, begging for a solution, had it not been for Apple forcing their hand. The coverage here seems to be angled somewhat. To clarify, the issue was never widespread, but rather contained to a few hundred obfuscated properties. The complication arose when a privacy uproar hit the headlines, sparking conversations about wholesale censorship and spiraling mistrust in tech giants. As a result, politicians from all sides found it convenient to lay into Google. Google's response was pretty blunt - conform to our approach or we pack up. True to their word, they exited the market. Apple, however, swooped in last year and successfully launched their own street view service in Germany without a hitch, forcing Google's hand in reconsideration.