Did you not read your own links before posting them lol?
> Mind you, this is definitionally a conspiracy theory; please don’t let the connotations of that phrase bias you, but please feel free to read this (and everything else on the internet) as critically as you wish.
This is a conspiracy theory in terms of the Apple's intent. Everything written in the article is true and verifiable.
> I just don’t think any of those things is particularly bad
If it's fine with you that Apple sends info about every file you open on you Mac to their servers, read the corresponding discussion. The comments explain well why it's a serious privacy breach.
Yes, there are plenty of thing in my life that I think about more than what Apple knows about the files I open. I can’t change it and it doesn’t help me to get twisted up in knots about it so I don’t worry about it.
> and another flat out says Google is worse
This one I can guess. Google is worse indeed, except they do not advertise themselves as "Android is privacy". This is why Apple is worse.