Apple chief executive Tim Cook on Friday laid out one of the most
forceful defenses of digital privacy ever given by the leader of a major
tech company, likening the fight to protect user data to a new
human-rights frontier.
Cook, speaking at a White House summit on cybersecurity at Stanford University just before President Obama's scheduled address, said the failure to protect privacy can have "dire consequences" in a world suffering from discrimination and bigotry.
"We still live in a world where not all people are treated equally. Too many people do not feel free to practice their religion, or express their opinion, or love who they choose—or love who they choose," Cook said, repeating the last part for emphasis. "A world in which that information can make the difference between life and death."
Cook repeatedly insisted that digital privacy and digital security were not mutually exclusive concepts. He also took a thinly veiled shot at some of Apple's competitors, such as Google and Facebook, by noting that his company was not in the business of "selling your personal data."
"We don't sell advertisers any information from your email content ... or your web browsing history," Cook said. "We don't know your credit card number, what you bought, or how much you paid—and we don't want to.
Cook is the only high-profile tech executive to attend Friday's summit. CEOs from several other companies were invited but declined to attend, suggesting ongoing tensions stemming from the Snowden disclosures.
Read more: Apple CEO Declares Digital Privacy a Human Right - NationalJournal.com
Cook, speaking at a White House summit on cybersecurity at Stanford University just before President Obama's scheduled address, said the failure to protect privacy can have "dire consequences" in a world suffering from discrimination and bigotry.
"We still live in a world where not all people are treated equally. Too many people do not feel free to practice their religion, or express their opinion, or love who they choose—or love who they choose," Cook said, repeating the last part for emphasis. "A world in which that information can make the difference between life and death."
Cook repeatedly insisted that digital privacy and digital security were not mutually exclusive concepts. He also took a thinly veiled shot at some of Apple's competitors, such as Google and Facebook, by noting that his company was not in the business of "selling your personal data."
"We don't sell advertisers any information from your email content ... or your web browsing history," Cook said. "We don't know your credit card number, what you bought, or how much you paid—and we don't want to.
Cook is the only high-profile tech executive to attend Friday's summit. CEOs from several other companies were invited but declined to attend, suggesting ongoing tensions stemming from the Snowden disclosures.
Read more: Apple CEO Declares Digital Privacy a Human Right - NationalJournal.com
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