T-Mobile begins blocking iPhone users from enabling iCloud Private Relay in US
I would think Apple has some leverage to force it if they really wanted.<p>If Apple really wanted to force the issue, they could tell T-Mobile no more iPhone contracts unless you do it. Apple can survive and thrive on fewer networks - the iPhone was AT&T exclusive for a long time at the beginning.<p>If that happened, there would be no way for T-Mobile to get a supply of iPhones. People would need to buy iPhones from Apple and then replace the SIM cards themselves. It would make T-Mobile bend pretty quickly unless they managed to get Verizon and AT&T to join them on the issue.<p>But then Apple has a second card to play, and that's the court of public opinion. If Apple wanted to make a public ad lambasting the carriers for undermining people's privacy, the damage would also force them to bend.<p>Finally, of course, there's the fact that carriers need Apple just as much as Apple needs carriers. However, between the carriers and Apple, who has $200 billion in the bank to do things themselves if they wanted?<p>Edit: Heck, T-Mobile has a market value of $130 billion. AT&T has a market cap of $188B, and Verizon $223 billion. If Verizon and AT&T joined T-Mobile in protest, Apple could theoretically attempt (or at least threaten) a hostile takeover of any of them. That would cause a lot of discussion among the carriers and send a strong message very quickly.