Apple’s Tim Cook slams lax U.S. data-protection laws
The CEO, who has a record of supporting privacy and data security, called for stricter data protections and regulations worldwide, calling current practices ‘surveillance.’
Apple is taking a strong stand on an issue integral to its core business: stronger data protection laws for U.S. consumers.
CEO Tim Cook was the messenger for Apple’s advocacy, which leant authenticity to the move, given his long history of supporting privacy. He issued his call for tighter security in a speech to the 40th International Conference of Data Protection and Privacy Commissioners.
“Our own information — from the everyday to the deeply personal — is being weaponized against us with military efficiency,” warned Cook. “These scraps of data, each one harmless enough on its own, are carefully assembled, synthesized, traded and sold.
“Taken to the extreme this process creates an enduring digital profile and lets companies know you better than you may know yourself. Your profile is a bunch of algorithms that serve up increasingly extreme content, pounding our harmless preferences into harm.”
“We shouldn’t sugarcoat the consequences. This is surveillance,” he added.
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