Apple never challenged actual law. To quote the article:

> [Timothy D. Cook] made clear that Apple would obey American law — but only after trying to shape the law.

In the case of China here, the law was already passed. Apple is just conforming to the law.

Apple has been using privacy as a marketing tool. But apparently it will go no further than that. Privacy seems to be useful to Apple only if it can be used as a marketing tool, otherwise it's discarded as fast as some "offensive app" in the app store.

Great contrast to Google deciding to leave China.

You cant have an explicit define Set of Human Rights internationally.

Because most Chinese users are perfectly fine with the rule and law. They would rather follow what CCP said and have an Apple product.