Tim Cook on What He Would Do in Mark Zuckerberg's Shoes: 'I Wouldn't Be in This Situation'

[MacRumors]

"I wouldn't be in this situation" Apple CEO Tim Cook told Recode's Kara Swisher in an interview where he was asked what he would do right now if he was Mark Zuckerberg.

Cook went on to say that Facebook should have self regulated to prevent the massive data collection scandal it's now embroiled in, but the time for that has passed. "I do think that it is time for a set of people to think deeply about what can be done here."

Image via Recode​

It's clear to me that something, some large profound change is needed... I'm personally not a big fan of regulation because sometimes regulation can have unexpected consequences to it, however I think this certain situation is so dire and has become so large, that probably some well-crafted regulation is necessary.

Cook made the comments calling for regulation in a wide-ranging discussion with Swisher and MSNBC's Chris Hayes, covering topics from privacy to DACA to education, where he also again pointed out Apple's strong stance on privacy.

As Cook has said many times in the past, "you" are not Apple's product and Apple does not make its money selling customer data. Cook says Apple sees privacy as a "human right, a civil liberty."

We could make a ton of money if we monetized our customers. If our customers were our product. We've elected not to do that. ...We're not going to traffic in your personal life.

Curation is important to Apple, and that's one of the ways Cook believes Facebook went wrong. "We curate," he said. "We don't want porn on our App Store. We don't want hate speech on our App Store."

Apple, he says, looks at every app in detail. "Is it doing what it is saying it is doing?"

Cook also offered up some advice on how people can protect their privacy. He recommends people read and understand the privacy policy of every app and website frequented, use private browsing mode, and think about blocking cookies. "The only way to protect your data is to encrypt," he added.

Like many of us, Cook says he "finds it creepy" when he looks at something and it chases him "all across the web," something Apple has actively started blocking with cross-site tracking prevention tools in macOS High Sierra and iOS 11. "I don't like that," he said.

Cook was interviewed at the Lane Tech College Prep High School where Apple held its educational event earlier this week. The CEO's full interview will air on Friday, April 6 at 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time or 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time on MSNBC.

Article Link: Tim Cook on What He Would Do in Mark Zuckerberg's Shoes: 'I Wouldn't Be in This Situation'

 

[SoApple]

Not surprised. They’ve had a very hard stand on privacy for a long time.

 

[markfc]

Hey Tim, unless you’ve personally reviewed every single line of code and checked the configuration of every single switch, firewall, server and database I wouldn’t be so smug.

Statements like that have a terrible tendency to come and bite you in the ass later on.

I still trust Apple completely with my data though.

 

[EvilEvil]

Nice duck face Tim!

 

[FSMBP]

Never been a fan of Tim Cook's speeches/Q&As but his response is amazing.

 

[JackieTreehorn]

You can have a perfectly normal life without Facebook.

 

[Lucky736]

Here he is talking out of his ass again. Stay in your lane Tim.

I've seen firsthand how "unsecure" some Apple technologies and work has been over the years....... the statement markfc made about it biting them in the ass later will prove to be 100% correct.

 

[dzoolander]

Facebook steals and sells your data. However, Google is much, much worse: it is the NSA on steroids.
I wish Congress would investigate Google also

 

[TMRJIJ]

Nice duck face Tim!

Yeah, it’s like he’s trying not to laugh.
Tim thoughts: “LOL Mark, you ****ed up!”

 

[EdT]

On the whole I think Apple tries to live up to it's security pledges, at least here in the U.S. In China Apple evidently follows another set of rules, so their privacy stance isn't really universal and if they can make exceptions for one place they can eventually make those exceptions elsewhere as well.

 

[JGIGS]

Facebook steals and sells your data. However, Google is much, much worse: it is the NSA on steroids.
I wish Congress would investigate Google also

Big statement. Can we see your proof that they are doing malicious things with this data?

I actually don't mind ads targeted at me so I can have free google apps and services. Plus if something Google knows I'm interested in buying goes on sale ad I get an ad notifying me of this I see that as added bonus.

Otherwise I just ignore the advertising.

 

[Mildredop]

You can have a perfectly normal life without Facebook.

Actually, I think not having an online presence looks a little suspicious. It's normal now to google people you don't know (potential employees for example).

 

[ThunderSkunk]

Well I'm glad someone said it.
The infamous (& PG-13, shield your eyes) exchange re Zuckerberg and Assange pretty well sums up the problem with facebook as an organization.

Ehh, mods, plz remove if too egregious.

 

[thisisnotmyname]

Apple and Facebook are worlds apart on privacy (thank you Apple), but I'd be careful if I were Tim Cook. He's setting himself up to be quoted the next time an App gets through review that does nasty things with user data. Obviously there are safeguards in place to prohibit the app from scraping a bunch of data from the users' contacts but any environment that allows third party code has the potential that the third parties will do bad things.

Before I get the nasty responses, I fully realize that one (Facebook) was created for the express purpose of harvesting user data whereas the other (Apple) has been a champion for safeguarding users. I'm just saying there's potential for abuse of Apple's ecosystem too.
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"The only way to protect your data is to encrypt," he added.

I love that they're doubling down on this upcoming legislative fight by the way.

 

[gugy]

Go Tim and Apple!

 

[pike908]

Facebook steals and sells your data. However, Google is much, much worse: it is the NSA on steroids.
I wish Congress would investigate Google also

One of the reasons all the tech companies have received favorable treatment in Congress about data collection and storage is that every single one of them -- including Apple -- cooperate in some fashion with law enforcement requests for data. In some respects it's a deal with the devil -- the government doesn't have to store your data. Folks would scream bloody murder if the government itself wanted to store even 10% of your data that Google and Facebook do. Same goes for all cloud storage, including Icloud.

Also note that Apple, Google, Facebook, Twitter, Uber and many ofther leading tech companies are based in the the Bay area. Loudmouths Pelosi, Feinstein, and other prominent CA D Congress folks are eerily quiet whenever tech regulation comes up. Meanwhile these loudmouths never miss and oppourtunity to scream about Big Oil or Wall Street even though Big Oil and Wall Street are just as important to the American economy as the tech bohemiths. Same goes for big defense companies.

Both parties are screwing us! They screw us by convincing us it's always the other parties fault while they both continue to laugh all the way to the bank!

 

[ChrisCW11]

Sure, Apple has taken a stance to not involve themselves in trying to figure out the best way to use customer data, which is why Siri is the least useful of all the digital assistance.

Apple has stuck their heads in the sand about this.

There is a right amount of data a company can use that does not violate your personal privacy, and Apple could better leverage that data with their cloud and assistance service, but they choose not to.

While obviously companies like Facebook, and eventually Google and the rest of them, are taking huge risks to try and innovate and use this data to improve your experience, it leaves them exposed to these kind of mistakes. It is what happens when you try to be a trail blazer instead of sitting around waiting for the competition to succeed or screw up before implementing a platform, the way Apple operates.

Sure, at the end of the day, Tim Cook may be a better CEO because he isolates Apple from risk by being cautious and doesn't involve Apple in bleeding edge technology, but at the end of the day the industry learns from the successes and mistakes of companies like Facebook, and the whole industry will improve and become more resilient when they fail.

Apple learns from other people's mistakes; if it wasn't for the mistakes of all these other companies, whether its failures in mobile phones, music players, cloud services, Apple would not have the technology and products they have today. If the whole industry worked the way Apple does, innovation would grind to a halt as tech companies all tentatively wait for someone to do something first before following up with a 20/20 hindsight approach to rolling out "new" products.

 

[DTECHQUE]

inb4 "z0mG!! Tim shouldn't talk about politics and give us the Mac mini! Steve's rollin in his grave right now!"

 

[Applebot1]

Apple don’t go out there way to ‘sell us’ Face Book and Google on the other hand do. That’s the price you pay for exposing yourself to the world online. Nothing is free in this world and that includes using Face Book.

If you are ok with this because ‘you have nothing to hide’ argument that’s fine but remember there is a cost.

 

[Michael Goff]

Here he is talking out of his ass again. Stay in your lane Tim.

I've seen firsthand how "unsecure" some Apple technologies and work has been over the years....... the statement markfc made about it biting them in the ass later will prove to be 100% correct.

Except he still would be right. This didn’t happen because of a bug in a Facebook. This happened because of that’s how Facebook operated.

 

[CrystalQuest76]

Facebook steals and sells your data.
I wish Congress would investigate Google also.

The idiots just give it to Facebook directly, and Facebook builds on that with purchased data acquired from other sources.
I learned as a child that "free stuff" often comes with the highest cost.

 

[izyreal]

I appreciate that Tim is willing to publicly state his position on user privacy, and I support his position. Product user should not have to give up basic privacy in order to participate in the modern economy.

Others on this forum have noted that Tim's comments will be brought up when the next inevitable data breach occurs that involves Apple; it is true. And my response will be different toward Apple than with other companies. Based on Tim's comments (and Apple's track record), I will be willing to give Apple time and space to correct the mistake. I realize that I do not represent the reactions for all people, but I suspect I am a part of a fairly large group.

 

[NinjaHERO]

I know they're not perfect. But my trust in Apple is a big part of why I keep giving them my money. I feel like they keep my data more secure than any other company I deal with. Thanks Tim.

 

[dzoolander]

Big statement. Can we see your proof?

You are joking, right?
Just look at the business plan for Google. Why do they give the OS for Android away for free? Actually, it is less than free, meaning Google pays cell phone providers money to sell Android os-devices. Have you ever thought how Google makes any money? You and your information is the product that they sell to companies. And how do they obtain that said data? Oh, and the company motto is " Don't Be Evil"...how comforting is that?

Here is one little quote by Eric Schmidt (he is the former CEO of Google):
"We know where you are. We know where you’ve been. We can more or less know what you’re thinking about” the Atlantic, 2010

 

[Michael Goff]

You are joking, right?
Just look at the business plan for Google. Why do they give the OS for Android away for free? Actually, it is less than free, meaning Google pays cell phone providers money to sell Android os-devices. Have you ever thought how Google makes any money? You and your information is the product that they sell to companies. And how do they obtain that said data? Oh, and the company motto is " Don't Be Evil"...how comforting is that?

Here is one little quote by Eric Schmidt (he is the former CEO of Google):
"We know where you are. We know where you’ve been. We can more or less know what you’re thinking about” the Atlantic, 2010

They really don’t sell your data. You can only sell somebody’s data once. They’re use the data themselves and sell ad space.