From Apple's document on Advanced Data Protection:

>With Advanced Data Protection enabled, Apple doesn't have the encryption keys needed to help you recover your end-to-end encrypted data.

Apple doesn't have the keys. Somebody else might. Somebody other than you. Also, I think they meant to say decryption keys, although they're probably just dumbing down terminology for the masses.

>If you ever lose access to your account, you’ll need to use one of your account recovery methods

"You'll need to use." Not "there is no way except to use."

>Note: Your account recovery methods are never shared with or known to Apple.

"shared with or known to Apple." Not "shared with or known to anyone else."

The encryption is there, I believe that. I just don't know how many copies of the keys there are. If the only key is with me, it would be super easy for Apple to just say that. I believe that they have said that in the past, but the wording has now changed to this hyper-specific "Apple does not have the key" stuff.