What I'm really noting here is that Apple had no good options. Capitulating would've meant giving the UK government the back door they wanted. They didn't do t

What I'm really noting here is that Apple had no good options. Capitulating would've meant giving the UK government the back door they wanted. They didn't do that. They complied in a loud and public way, which unmistakably shined a light on the insane request. The only other options for them were withdrawal from the UK market entirely, or a secret court fight they'd probably lose. To me, their actual response reads more like malicious compliance than "caving," which usually implies giving up completely.