> I can't imagine this is going to win them any friends in government circles but it's definitely a step in the right direction.
Apple already has all the friends they need in the "government circles". They're fully enrolled in PRISM and are well-known to kowtow to the demands of corrupt leadership (see: Russian iPhones, Chinese iCloud hosting)
Apple is “fully enrolled” in PRISM just like any other company with U.S. operations, because PRISM is the internal NSA source designation for material acquired via FISA warrants, and complying with FISA warrants is not optional.
You can't not comply with the government of a country unless you are a country. And the citizens of Russia and China would not appreciate that, because they actually like their governments, and don't care what you think.
Apple already has all the friends they need in the "government circles". They're fully enrolled in PRISM and are well-known to kowtow to the demands of corrupt leadership (see: Russian iPhones, Chinese iCloud hosting)