Is it? The article I read about it said it also includes photos saved on your iphone, even if they aren't uploaded to icloud.
However there is a very long list of companies not just doing things for good, but also for profit.
And when profit enters the equation, then the original mission statement tends to get distorted into something bad/worse.
Of course Apple is free to decide, but the consumer has the option to either loudly disagree or exit the Apple ecosystem altogether.
I see the same pattern with pro-vaccine and "anti-vax", either you support vaccines or you are labeled "anti-vax", all is black-and-white without any nuances.
That sort of discussion rarely leads to any productive outcome.