Rich Mogull writing for TidBITS,

We are in the midst of fundamentally redefining the relationship between governments and citizens in the face of technological upheavals in human communications. Other [non-Apple] technology leaders are relatively quiet on the issue because they lack the ground to stand on. Not due to personal preferences or business compromises, but because of their business models, and lack of demand from us, their customers.

Apple surely has their customers in mind with their defense of encryption and privacy, but it is also convenient that many of their competitors’ businesses rely on tracking. This has to be one of the reasons iAd was so unceremoniously swept under the rug, why Apple allowed content-blockers on iOS, and why they are such stalwarts about privacy: it’s good for users and it’s good for business.