Yes, that's how databases work.
If we use this same logic, is Apple not being private with your data?
A database is, at its core, just a bunch of bytes structured in some way. There's nothing stopping you from storing an encrypted value in someone else's DB, and as long as you keep your secret private your plaintext is as safe as your encryption scheme.
2. Google retains full access to the email even when you set a self-destruct timer.
3. If you password-protect an email, Google can link your recipient's phone number with their email address.
I think those are valid concerns. Don't you?
(There is the matter of Apple's software being closed source and maybe they could push a compromising update that pushes your data to their servers without encrypting it, but that's probably a matter for another discussion.)
The reason for this is convenience: In order to encrypt something you need a key. If you derive the key from e.g. the account password, then some people will promptly forget the password. If you derive it from the device key, then people will lose or break their device. Either way, they will get mad at you when you tell them that yes, you can reset their password/key and restore access to their account, but all their backed up data will stay inaccessible. So Apple allows you to reset a password (e.g. by answering "security questions") and then you have access to some of your data again, which means Apple has to have access somehow to that data.
Apple divides the data they store into two categories: encrypted (to which Apple still has access if they want or need to) and end-to-end encrypted (to which they do not have access, so it will be gone if you lose the key): https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202303
So e.g. your photos and videos and files in general are recoverable by you, Apple, or somebody who got a hold of your password, or managed to reset your password. While e.g. your keychain is "End-To-End" and meant to unrecoverable in the case of a lost key (well, unless your lost key was easily guessable and thus bruteforcable).
It was also my impression that Apple claims that if you lose or damage your device, your shit is gone forever and they can't get it back (and that independent repair services can get around this by simply fixing the damaged device.)
They even give those keys to Chinese government for Chinese citizens: https://www.theverge.com/2018/7/18/17587304/apple-icloud-chi...
> Yes, that's how databases work.
The article is arguing for end-to-end-encryption, which is perfectly do-able for google. It's not a matter of "how databases work" at all, like literally not even a bit. It's a matter of what features the company has chosen to implement.
> If we use this same logic, is Apple not being private with your data?
Has Apple launched a "confidential" email mode that does not protect the ostensibly-confidential emails? Google is making privacy claims and not backing them up by actually making them private. But... No, Apple is not being that private with your data! I'd love it if Apple worked to make E2E encryption easier in iCloud mail, and they should do so.