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.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.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.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.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?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.