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Apple’s CEO Tim Cook Tells Why Online Privacy Matters

By Paul Liu
Wednesday, July 8th, 2015

Apple’s CEO Tim Cook recently delivered a great speech highlighting the importance of security and privacy in today’s increasingly digital world. Speaking at the cybersecurity summit organized by the White House in the heart of Silicon Valley, Cook said that giving up privacy can not only lead to financial losses or identity theft, it also risks our way of life. The event was also attended by President Barack Obama but CEOs of top Silicon Valley organizations boycotted it over concerns that the US government was seeking further co-operation from tech companies for its surveillance activities.

Speaking at the event, Cook said that history has taught us that sacrificing privacy can lead to dire consequences. He added that since the society still doesn’t treat everyone equally, information could mean the difference between life and death. He further said that should the people or organizations in the positions of power fail to do anything about protecting the right to privacy, we risk something which is even more valuable than money, our way of life. He hoped that since today’s technology provides us with the tools to avoid these risks, authorities and private organizations would work together in order to protect the privacy of ordinary citizens.

During his speech, Cook also explained how Apple treats the personal information of its customers. Highlighting that Apple designs products that can change people’s lives, he said that the company is committed to hiring American suppliers and manufacturing more products within United States. He further added that Apple believes that each and every person has the right to privacy and also mentioned that the company works hard to earn the trust of its customers. He also explained how security and privacy were built into Apple’s products right from the design phase and that the company has strict policies and monitoring systems in place to govern the safety of customer data.

While delivering his speech, Cook also said that Apple doesn’t sell personal data of its customers; it only sells amazing products and services. He added that the company doesn’t monetize the information stored on iCloud or iPhones nor does it sell advertisements based on private messages, emails or browsing history. He also mentioned that Apple customers have total control over the information that they wanted to share plus they also have the option to stop sharing it. He further said that the company sets and follows industry leading security standards and is committed to living up to them.

In his speech, Cook also spoke at length about the online threats facing the world today. He explained that while the digital revolution has increased convenience by digitizing almost everything, it has also increased threats to personal and financial data. He recounted how hackers managed to infiltrate into big corporations and steal identities of millions of people in the last few years. In the end, he explained that technology also provides a way to eliminate such security threats and protect the privacy of people. He cited the example of Apple Pay as the next generation technology that can keep the financial data of people totally safe and secure.