Question: who is or will be making money on this deal? Answer that ("follow the money") and then I think we'll have a handle on what's really going on.
Apple gets to maintain its 30% commission and monopoly abuse of the app store (which is becoming the de-facto place where all consumer software downloads and payments occur), in return for feeding the iCloud data of all users worldwide to US intelligence agencies.
Presumably the quid pro quo outcome is that Apple is allowed to win the Epic vs Apple lawsuit.
Ah! This and the other comment suggest a method: Apple implements something for "THINK OF THE CHILDREN" in exchange for government calling off the regulation dogs. Cynical.
