Why does Apple use a stub BIMI record on its primary user email domain?

Email marketer from Quora proposes that Apple utilizes subdomain BIMI records to display different logos for various services or regions, requiring a stub record at the root domain.

Email marketer from mailhardener.com suggests Apple may be using a stub BIMI record on its primary domain to avoid overriding user profile information with a generic Apple logo, opting instead to use BIMI on subdomains.

Email marketer from Stack Overflow suggests that Apple might be testing BIMI gradually, using a stub record initially before full implementation to observe DNS propagation and potential issues.

Email marketer from emailsecurityfaq.com mentions that a declination record is used to signal that a domain intentionally does not have a BIMI record, which can prevent email clients from continually querying for a non-existent record.

Email marketer from EmailGeekForum.com thinks that Apple could be strategically avoiding a blanket logo to maintain a cleaner, less cluttered user experience across its services.

Marketer from Email Geeks shares that the record published by icloud.com is what's referred to as a "declination to publish" record and it's perfectly valid, with a link to more information.

Email marketer from mxtoolbox.com explains that a null BIMI record signals intention to prevent logo display and override standard logo display, giving precise control.

Email marketer from Reddit speculates that Apple might use a stub record for greater control over branding at the subdomain level, allowing for more specific branding initiatives.

Email marketer from litmus.com suggests that a stub record can act as a placeholder, signaling to email providers that BIMI is under consideration but not fully implemented yet.

Email marketer from emailonacid.com notes that companies often implement BIMI in phases, starting with a basic or declination record, before deploying full-fledged logo records.

Expert from Email Geeks explains that for the @apple.com domain, they might not want to overwrite user profile info with the apple logo, so they could declare that a null record and just publish on the sub domains (which is the path they've taken).

Expert from Email Geeks explains that icloud is a consumer domain so it likely shouldn't have BIMI ever. Also shares that email.apple.com has a valid BIMI record. Furthermore, they say publishing "v=spf -all" is to prevent SPF "neutral" results.

Expert from Spam Resource suggests that Apple might be using a stub BIMI record for brand management reasons, allowing them flexibility in how their logo appears across different email clients and services.

Expert from Word to the Wise explains that Apple might be proceeding cautiously with BIMI due to the complexities of implementation, especially in coordinating with various internal teams and external vendors.

Documentation from datatracker.ietf.org explains that a "declination to publish" record is a valid BIMI record which indicates the domain owner has intentionally chosen not to publish a BIMI record at the domain level.

Documentation from rfc-editor.org outlines that SPF records, including those that explicitly prevent SPF results, are used for email authentication and can influence BIMI implementation.

Documentation from dmarc.org emphasizes that proper DMARC alignment is a prerequisite for BIMI, and Apple may be ensuring full compliance before deploying BIMI fully.

Documentation from bimigroup.org confirms that a domain owner can explicitly decline to publish a BIMI record by publishing a specific DNS record, which is a valid practice.