Tim Cook on Health Records Privacy: 'People Will Look at This and Feel That They Can Trust Apple'

[MacRumors]

In an NPR piece on the privacy of storing health records on the iPhone, Apple CEO Tim Cook this week said that Apple is a company that people can trust with sensitive information.

As evidence, Cook said that Apple has always avoided selling user data, something that Cook and other executives have repeated time and time again.

In an interview with NPR, Cook says acquiring user data to sell ads is something his company has avoided. "People will look at this and feel that they can trust Apple," he says. "That's a key part of anyone that you're working with on your health."

Apple executives have always pointed out that its customers are not its product, something that distinguishes Apple from other tech companies like Google and Facebook that rely heavily on user data for marketing and monetization purposes. According to Cook, Apple's privacy commitment is serious and not something that the company says just to earn customer trust.

"It's not the way we look it in terms of advantages," he says. "The reality is that I know for me, I want to do business with people that have my health data, people that I deeply trust."

Cook's statement is part of a wider look at the Health Records feature added to the iPhone last year, which is designed to allow iPhone users to see actual medical records from hospitals, clinics, and doctors right in the Health app. Apple has partnered with many different institutions for the Health Records feature, bringing easy access to health data to millions of people.

Sam Cavaliere, a tech worker who uses Health Records and was featured in the NPR article, says Apple has earned his trust. "I don't get fed advertisements for them, so I don't see them trying to monetize it," he said, going on to explain that he's "comfortable" with what Apple's doing.

UC San Diego Health's chief information officer, Dr. Chris Longhurst, also said that Apple's focus on privacy had made hospital officials feel more at ease because patient health privacy is of the utmost importance.

UCSD Health likes the fact that all record data is stored on device only and not uploaded to the cloud, something that helps to protect patients.

NPR pointed out recent news that certain health-related apps like period trackers and heart rate monitoring apps were sharing data with Facebook for targeted advertising, but Apple clarified that those apps don't, of course, connect to Health Records, which is a highly protected and restricted feature. Health app access in general can only be granted with explicit user permission.

Longhurst says that even though the Health app is well protected by Apple, there are "potential risks" and patients that use the feature should stay informed to make sure they're not inadvertently sharing health data with third parties.

Article Link: Tim Cook on Health Records Privacy: 'People Will Look at This and Feel That They Can Trust Apple'

 

[StellarVixen]

Privacy? Really? Who needs that!


My phone can fold in half! Take that, Apple!

 

[SmugMaverick]

That's right Tim

Keep taking about privacy instead of improving your products and pricing.

All while that fat cheque from Google keeps coming in.

 

[Baymowe335]

As much snark as will come from this, I personally wouldn't rank another company higher than Apple for data privacy.

There are always mistakes, but at least they try to keep your data private and it's one of their company messages.

A lot of these other tech companies make no effort to pretend they care about your privacy.

 

[Greymacuser]

Oh is it that time of the week for Timmy Kook says something creepy again?

 

[1050792]

Marketing 101.

 

[44267547]

That's right Tim

Keep taking about privacy instead of improving your products and pricing.
.

Although I don’t agree with Apple’s inflation with their pricing across the product line, Tim Cook discussion privacy is equally important to the consumer, because they need to know Apples stance in a world of where data infiltration happens quite frequently. You can disagree all you want, but I commend Tim Cook for his efforts assuring consumers data is protected.

 

[rjp1]

I love the health app.

I am just annoyed/disgusted when other apps try to keep the data silo'd or try to charge to export it to HealthKit. I'll never buy a health related device that doesn't support HealthKit now.

 

[1050792]

Privacy? Really? Who needs that!


My phone can fold in half! Take that, Apple!

The latest App store security holes would like to have a talk with you.

 

[Intellectua1]

HIPPA already protects patient privacy and I don't think there's a company on the planet willing to violate that. All this privacy talk by Apple just sounds like marketing. Yea sure Apple may or may not keep your data safe but those 3rd party apps and constant connection to the internet scream a different tune to me.
TL;DR the iPhone can only protect your data as good as the owner of the phone. Lose that phone and watch those health records become exposed. Also if it never touches the cloud how can you transfer data from device to device?

 

[now i see it]

...said that Apple is a company that people can trust with sensitive information.

as also been said throughout history as far as time began by every swindler, cheat, thief, grifter, scammer, liar and scumbag.

Not to say that  are any of those, but holy iMac! What an inane thing to say.

 

[omihek]

That's right Tim

Keep taking about privacy instead of improving your products and pricing.

All while that fat cheque from Google keeps coming in.

Apple doesn't have a search engine. Who should they use? I would say start with the best and go from there. DuckDuckGo is a better option, you say? Oh look, all you have to do is change the default to them, and the people who like Google search better can just keep it how it is. Everyone wins!

I do agree with you that Apple should keep talking about privacy. It is very important, and something many are willing to pay a premium for.
[doublepost=1551306849][/doublepost]

Oh is it that time of the week for Timmy Kook says something creepy again?

Yes, it is very creepy for him to care so much about privacy. Btw are you the one I talk to to have the government come set up cameras in my house?

 

[StellarVixen]

The latest App store security holes would like to have a talk with you.

There's a difference between hunting and patching security holes, and saying "you gave up your privacy when you signed up for my services, deal with it".

 

[Greymacuser]

Apple doesn't have a search engine. Who should they use? I would say start with the best and go from there. DuckDuckGo is a better option, you say? Oh look, all you have to do is change the default to them, and the people who like Google search better can just keep it how it is. Everyone wins!

I do agree with you that Apple should keep talking about privacy. It is very important, and something many are willing to pay a premium for.
[doublepost=1551306849][/doublepost]
Yes, it is very creepy for him to care so much about privacy. Btw are you the one I talk to to have the government come set up cameras in my house?

If you own an iPhone, guess what, you already have one.

 

[cmaier]

HIPPA already protects patient privacy and I don't think there's a company on the planet willing to violate that. All this privacy talk by Apple just sounds like marketing. Yea sure Apple may or may not keep your data safe but those 3rd party apps and constant connection to the internet scream a different tune to me.
TL;DR the iPhone can only protect your data as good as the owner of the phone. Lose that phone and watch those health records become exposed. Also if it never touches the cloud how can you transfer data from device to device?

HIPAA doesn’t apply in most of the world.

 

[s15119]

That's right Tim

Keep taking about privacy instead of improving your products and pricing.

All while that fat cheque from Google keeps coming in.

Apple products are constantly improving. The pricing is fair to millions of happy customers. Maybe you logged into the wrong forum.
[doublepost=1551307712][/doublepost]Apple is one of the best companies in the world for protecting privacy. Cheers.

 

[keysofanxiety]

Oh is it that time of the week for Timmy Kook says something creepy again?

Oh yeah, definitely. Like that time he morphed out of his skin-suit and lizard-scuttled into a small crack on the ground. And who can forget that keynote when his eyes glowed a piercing red and he began to levitate towards the ceiling.

Also, little known fact: if you play his speech backwards, it sounds like a guy with a Southern drawl speaking backwards.

 

[Intellectua1]

HIPAA doesn’t apply in most of the world.

But it does in America where this will launch and likely an exclusive for a 2-3 years at least. But that wasn't my point, my point is with HIPAA in place that data is protected from prying eyes and being sold off as data already, this is just another marketing stunt.

 

[macfacts]

Although I don’t agree with Apple’s inflation with their pricing across the product line, Tim Cook discussion privacy is equally important to the consumer, because they need to know Apples stance in a world of where data infiltration happens quite frequently. You can disagree all you want, but I commend Tim Cook for his efforts assuring consumers data is protected.

Apple may say you are not the "product", but they still track you and collect a lot of data on you. It just takes one hacker to get that info.

Trusting apple not to sell your data is reasonable but trusting apple to create bug proof apps is laughable.

 

[Crowbot]

HIPAA doesn’t apply in most of the world.

True but I imagine the EU requirements for patient data protections are at least as strong as HIPAA.

 

[genovelle]

Oh is it that time of the week for Timmy Kook says something creepy again?

Creepy would be Google. What was it that Schmidt said? “At Google we like to walk up to the creepy line (try) not to cross it”. These companies tell you what they are doing if you listen. Or they will remain silent which is more telling.

 

[Crowbot]

Apple may say you are not the "product", but they still track you and collect a lot of data on you. It just takes one hacker to get that info.

Trusting apple not to sell your data is reasonable but trusting apple to create bug proof apps is laughable.

As long as Apple follows their own privacy policies I'm fine with the data they're collecting on me. It doesn't seem to do them much good as my iTunes suggestions are not much better than a crapshoot.

But, obviously, no system is hack proof. The only real alternative is to go off the grid.

 

[cmaier]

True but I imagine the EU requirements for patient data protections are at least as strong as HIPAA.

There are still around 7 billion people not in Europe or the u.s.

 

[Khedron]

How is this an example of Apple caring about privacy?

Apple has nothing to do with this. It uses existing standards for encryption and health providers must already have their own portals and APIs set up.

This is like Apple saying they take privacy seriously because whenever you use one of their devices to access your online banking they don't actively steal your financial information and start posting it everywhere. Unless you click the "share with 3rd parties" button.

 

[cmaier]

But it does in America where this will launch and likely an exclusive for a 2-3 years at least. But that wasn't my point, my point is with HIPAA in place that data is protected from prying eyes and being sold off as data already, this is just another marketing stunt.

No it’s not. HIPAA determines when data can be intentionally disclosed and to whom. It does not determine that a company has to take the precautions that Apple takes to secure the data against attacks by third parties, etc. Apple goes beyond HIPAA.