We learned earlier this week that Tim Cook would be speaking at a White House cybersecurity summit today, and it now appears he will be the only tech CEO to do so. USNews is reporting that CEOs of other top tech companies all declined President Obama’s invitation, sending lower-ranking execs in their place.
Unlike Apple’s Cook, other top executives at key Silicon Valley companies declined invitations to the summit. Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg, Yahoo’s Marissa Mayer and Google’s Larry Page will not attend amid the ongoing concerns about government surveillance. Facebook spokesman Jay Nancarrow said Zuckerberg is unavailable to attend and that Chief Security Officer Joe Sullivan will speak during a panel at the event.
It’s believed other CEOs consider refusing to take part to be the best way to express their objections to increased government surveillance of electronic communications, while Cook takes the opposite view: that it is important to speak up in defence of user privacy …
Cook’s stance on data security mirrors the company’s approach to human rights issues in the supply chain, where Apple believes it can make the most difference by applying pressure for change rather than steering clear of problematic countries.
Cook has frequently spoken about Apple’s commitment to privacy, contrasting with ad-funded companies like Facebook and Google where “you’re not the customer, you’re the product.” Cook posted a letter to the Apple website last September, in which he stated that “security and privacy are fundamental to the design of all our hardware, software, and services.” Apple also has a dedicated privacy section on its website.
Cook has expressed a commitment to transparency in how it handles government information requests, promising an annual report on the requests received and Apple’s responses. The company last year also began notifying customers when law enforcement agencies request user data.
Apple has been criticized by the FBI for encrypting iPhone data in a way that means not even Apple can decrypt it. We have a feeling the White House may not like what Cook has to say today …
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> while Cook takes the opposite view: that it is important to speak up in defence of user privacy.
Let’s hope you’re right about that. But I’m very worried that Apple will compromise on its security to help the government catch the “child pornographers”….or something.
Cook has been pretty uncompromising. He told the FBI that Apple can’t decrypt iPhones “and that is that.”
DEVIL’S ADVOCATE SAYS: Yeah, it would be horrible if tech companies helped the government catch the worst criminals at the risk of reading our meaningless pretentious drivel.
:)
Tim Cook’s view – or how I see his stand – is what’s RIGHT with Apple!
Rather than sending a lower echelon employee to this meeting, he is personally attending it – to make the statement that Apple takes our rights to our privacy seriously. Where are the other online / data communication equipment / operating system manufacturers and vendors – cowering in their bunkers and writing their excuses as to why they caved to a government that’s out of control and usurping our Bill of Rights privacy?
Tim – I Salute You and Apple for taking a stand and facing the problem head-on!
Facebook and Google are all about compromising privacy and exploiting personal and private information. For them to say anything about government surveillance is truly the pot calling the kettle black. Regardless of their poor rack record however, stay silent on these matters is absolutely not the right thing to do. If you turn a blind eye you’re part of the problem.
Yup…. Not going because you don’t agree with gov survelience is the stupidest way to encourage any change in that. Kinda like our Cuba policy for the last 50 or so years… yeah that worked! LOL
Tim Cook is the man, and coming from the only company that actually cares about user privacy, while the others exploit it by the very nature of their business models, and then call the kettle black, speaks volumes about Apple and everyone else.
If something is happening and you do nothing to prevent it, it doesn’t necessarily mean you did it, but you did allow it to happen – Indifference can be evil, taking a stand is the only way to affect change.