Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Apple Shares Tim Cook's Recent Speech on Apple's Commitment to Privacy

MacRumors

MacRumors

macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
68,698
39,603


Apple CEO Tim Cook last week spoke at the virtual Computers, Privacy, and Data Protection conference, where he highlighted Apple's commitment to user privacy and condemned the data-hungry business models of companies like Facebook.

Apple today shared Cook's full 12-minute speech on its YouTube channel for those who missed the initial release.

On January 28, 2021, Apple CEO Tim Cook delivered remarks at Computers, Privacy & Data Protection Conference: Enforcing Rights in a Changing World. The virtual conference -- hosted annually in Brussels, Belgium -- is one of the foremost international privacy and technology conferences bringing together leaders from academia, government, civil society and the private sector. Learn more about the features and controls Apple provides users to safeguard their privacy at http://www.apple.com/privacy.
Click to expand...
Cook's speech didn't mention Facebook by name, but his comments on disinformation and conspiracy theories being "juiced by algorithms" were clearly directed at the company.
"At a moment of rampant disinformation and conspiracy theories juiced by algorithms, we can no longer turn a blind eye to a theory of technology that says all engagement is good engagement -- the longer the better -- and all with the goal of collecting as much data as possible. It is long past time to stop pretending that this approach doesn't come with a cost -- of polarization, of lost trust and, yes, of violence."
Click to expand...
Cook also used his speech to highlight new Apple privacy initiatives including App Store privacy labels and the App Tracking Transparency rules that will be enforced following the launch of iOS 14.5. Our original article also has a full transcript of Cook's comments for those who would prefer to read what he said rather than watch the video.

Article Link: Apple Shares Tim Cook's Recent Speech on Apple's Commitment to Privacy
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2021/02/02/apple-ceo-tim-cook-privacy-speech/
  • Like
Reactions: MasterMaCanada59 and infinitejest
“Security is the foundation of privacy.” :apple:
“Privacy is a fundamental human right.” :apple:
Click to expand...


You are no longer the customer, you are the product. — Tim Cook

It reminds me of this presentation from Watch Dogs 2:

“You are now less valuable than the data you produce. This is the new reality, going dark is no longer an option.”

 
  • Like
Reactions: SWAON, johnmarki, marco114 and 1 other person
It's a nice, sanctimonious speech, but Apple's not really here to protect anyone. Tim Cook is using the best strategies he can to make a profit. I'm glad about what they're doing with privacy, but they're not really doing it for the good of the world. Just ask the international workers they get their supplies from
 
  • Like
  • Disagree
  • Love
Reactions: CasinoOwl, mi7chy, PC_tech and 8 others
I’m glad he mentioned algorithms. Facebook could ditch that and a lot of problems go away and would then fall on end users.
 
Apple_Robert said:
As long as they continue to put privacy and security first with their products, I will continue buying.
Click to expand...
Every time I see Apple state or improve their stance on privacy, it makes me more inclined to purchase something new from Apple or upgrade something I already own. My money definitely goes to companies that support the basic human right to privacy. Apple fits the bill right now. Hopefully it stays on that track and deepens it's commitment in the future even when leadership changes.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 708692, gene731 and LeadingHeat
I do think few appreciate what is about to happen, when iOS 14.5 Privacy goes into affect.

It won't affect me OR any of the apps that I work on, but it will affect ALOT of apps.

Many will be forced to change their Business Model, & the pace of change could be drastic !

We will ALL soon be in a post-iOS 14.4 world & with significant implications.

Of course for FB & its apps, but it will propagate back to Apple, & result in lower iPhone Unit Sales, at a time that the iPhone isn't really fairing all that well.

lineGraph_1.PNG



Make NO mistake, that will in-deed happen !
 
  • Disagree
  • Haha
Reactions: CasinoOwl and hlfway2anywhere
planteater said:
Every time I see Apple state or improve their stance on privacy, it makes me more inclined to purchase something new from Apple or upgrade something I already own. My money definitely goes to companies that support the basic human right to privacy. Apple fits the bill right now. Hopefully it stays on that track and deepens it's commitment in the future even when leadership changes.
Click to expand...
I have the same thought process with buying. I buy a lot of Apple products I don't really need but, like you, I like supporting a company looking out for me as they make a profit.
 
  • Like
Reactions: LeadingHeat
applicious84 said:
It's a nice, sanctimonious speech, but Apple's not really here to protect anyone. Tim Cook is using the best strategies he can to make a profit. I'm glad about what they're doing with privacy, but they're not really doing it for the good of the world. Just ask the international workers they get their supplies from
Click to expand...

Those two options can coexist, you know. That's pretty much the ideal corporation in a capitalistic society - it's making huge profits while also doing things for the good of the world in which they exist.

I agree that things like this also provide great marketing for Apple, but it's also a very true and needed message today. So if that message serves two purposes, I'm all for that.
 
  • Like
Reactions: CasinoOwl, zombitronic, I7guy and 2 others
Cosmosent said:
Apple would NOT be the company it is today without third party apps !
Click to expand...

True, but two thoughts on that...

#1 - Apps did not track things 10 years ago like they do now

#2 - The data "beast" was not an issue 10 years ago either (at least nothing like today), so why not use the platform they have built (partially due to those third party apps) to reign in that beast.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Homme, hlfway2anywhere and planteater
Apple_Robert said:
I have the same thought process with buying. I buy a lot of Apple products I don't really need but, like you, I like supporting a company looking out for me as they make a profit.
Click to expand...
I also prefer to buy into Apple's ecofuturistic vision that includes privacy, though I'm highly concerned about them sourcing components from Uighur labor:
• Accused of using parts built with, and their assembly factories using, Uighur forced labor.
• They have looked into allegations of forced labor from one of their suppliers, but '...had 'found no evidence of any forced labor on Apple production lines...'". Can't help but notice they didn't say 'no evidence of any forced labor involved in any aspect of Apple product creation'; they only mention their production lines.
• Some rumors they lobbied against the Uighur Protection Bill, but seems more like hearsay. Until we have hard evidence, this may be baseless.

Overall, like many^many companies, they've probably been using forced labor for a while now, and it's only now beginning to gain critical mass for change (and, by extension, us continually buying their products proliferates the problem), which is why I speculate one of the reasons they're diversifying their factory locations is to slowly decrease reliance on China while trying to maintain profits (shareholders > stakeholders). No doubt, they seem to be more vocal, and action-based against other companies, but we can't really deny that, if they really cared that much, they'd make much bigger & faster shifts. Regardless, until the whole lifecycle of all components is fully transparent, given the history of overseas manufacturing, it'd be naive at best, and fully complicit at worst, to assume our products are not made with some degree of forced labor.

KWIM?
 
  • Like
Reactions: jntdroid and applicious84
jntdroid said:
Those two options can coexist, you know. That's pretty much the ideal corporation in a capitalistic society - it's making huge profits while also doing things for the good of the world in which they exist.

I agree that things like this also provide great marketing for Apple, but it's also a very true and needed message today. So if that message serves two purposes, I'm all for that.
Click to expand...
I think that doing some good for the world in which they exist would be nice, especially if they choose to be limited by capitalism. One might look toward Bill Gates as the embodiment of that ideal. I think Gates is rather questionable, but the good he purports to do is leaps and bounds ahead of Apple's and Cook's.

I just don't think that doing privacy well is more important than profiting by using exploited workers (see djlythium's comment above) and resources.
 
  • Like
Reactions: PC_tech and jntdroid
applicious84 said:
It's a nice, sanctimonious speech, but Apple's not really here to protect anyone. Tim Cook is using the best strategies he can to make a profit. I'm glad about what they're doing with privacy, but they're not really doing it for the good of the world. Just ask the international workers they get their supplies from
Click to expand...
In case one hasn’t been following apple, profits have been going up for years, prior to Mr. Cook being made CEO.
 
  • Like
Reactions: hlfway2anywhere
I7guy said:
In case one hasn’t been following apple, profits have been going up for years, prior to Mr. Cook being made CEO.
Click to expand...
Fair enough. To increase profits if we have to be technical. It doesn't change the point.

Apple's becomes more profitable as Cook strategizes the best way to do it. Right now, that's taking advantage of people's desires for privacy. That's fine. Privacy is better, but it's not because they're benevolent.

That's not the case with their tax evasion, and it's not the case with worker and resource exploitation.

Privacy is great, and right now, Apple does it way better than many of its competitors, especially Google and FB, but again, they're a company seeking profits more than benefiting society. Privacy and profit come together on this point.

They're not doing a ton otherwise. Some charitable blips for publicity. They advertise their generosity while making massive profits that harm workers and exploit resources far more. They do what they can and need to do for profit, including cozying up with Trump at some point.

Look, use and enjoy their products, but don't pretend they're doing good. They do way more harm than good.
 
  • Like
Reactions: PC_tech and portland_bill
brijazz said:
Your privacy is a product now - and Apple wants to sell you the best privacy on the market.
Click to expand...
Sad, but it has to be done, just like encryption and locks on your doors. It’s not Apple’s fault this behavior is a thing. They can limit it and ask user if they are OK with the tracking.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back