You can respect privacy as much as possible while collecting the required data. For instance, Apple does collect some location data but they don’t connect it to your identity, it is associated with a random number that is replaced every so often.
So they do get the benefit of the data while maintaining some balance with your privacy interests. Now if you compare that to their main competitor Google, who just collects everything they can and keeps the data forever, they can justify posing as a privacy respecting company.
If you want, you can see exactly what data Apple collects and how they use it when you use Apple Music:
Spotify builds a profile of the kinds of content you listen to, so third parties can serve you ads related to it. There is an opt out but it does not opt you out from this behavior.
Spotify obviously has to do this because they offer free, ad supported accounts. Apple does not have to do that because they don’t offer ad supported accounts. That is why Apple can justifiably pose as the privacy respecting company, compared to Spotify.
So they do get the benefit of the data while maintaining some balance with your privacy interests. Now if you compare that to their main competitor Google, who just collects everything they can and keeps the data forever, they can justify posing as a privacy respecting company.
If you want, you can see exactly what data Apple collects and how they use it when you use Apple Music:
https://www.apple.com/legal/privacy/data/en/apple-music/
Compare to Spotify:
https://www.spotify.com/us/legal/privacy-policy/
Spotify builds a profile of the kinds of content you listen to, so third parties can serve you ads related to it. There is an opt out but it does not opt you out from this behavior.
Spotify obviously has to do this because they offer free, ad supported accounts. Apple does not have to do that because they don’t offer ad supported accounts. That is why Apple can justifiably pose as the privacy respecting company, compared to Spotify.