“Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook delivered more than a commencement speech at Duke University on Sunday. He sent a clear message about data privacy — once again — to 5,500 graduates,” Jon Swartz reports for Barron’s. “‘We reject the excuse that getting the most out of technology means trading away your right to privacy,’ said Cook, who earned an MBA from Duke. ‘So we choose a different path, collecting as little of your data as possible, being thoughtful and respectful when it’s in our care because we know it belongs to you.'”
“Sound familiar? For the second time in roughly a month, Cook forcefully took Facebook to task for its handling of its members’ personal information, cementing a narrative pushed by Apple that juxtaposes its strict privacy approach — and by extension, its business model — with Facebook and other ad-dependent companies that aggressively monetize data,” Swartz reports. “By invoking social responsibility, a topic that resonates with the under-30 demographic, Cook is taking Apple’s approach directly to younger workers and customers.”
“Cook’s calculus is shrewd: His underlying argument, tucked within the speech, is a reminder that Apple considers itself a trustworthy and socially responsible employer, which plays well in the Silicon Valley recruiting wars,” Swartz reports. “Daniel Ives, head of technology research at GBH Insights, tells Barron’s, ‘Cook has been vocal about data privacy and this was a good forum to paint the picture around where Apple as a company and culture sits on this hot-button issue.'”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: It cuts both ways. Apple delivers privacy, but, because of the company’s sdtrict stance, they also deliver a suboptimal personal assistant, inferior photo management apps, etc.
Imagine if there were some way for users to trust Apple and cede some degree of privacy in return for a more capable Siri, an improved Photos, etc.? What percentage would enable it? We bet the number of users opting to trust Apple would surprise Tim Cook.
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The price you’ll pay for Google’s ‘free’ photo storage – June 3, 2015
Apple CEO Tim Cook champions privacy, blasts ‘so-called free services’ – June 3, 2015
Passing on Google Photos for iOS: Read the fine print before you sign up for Google’s new Photos service – June 1, 2015
Why Apple’s Photos beats Google Photos, despite price and shortcomings – May 30, 2015
Is Apple is losing the photo wars? – May 29, 2015
How Google aims to delve deeper into users’ lives – May 29, 2015
Apple CEO Cook: Unlike some other companies, Apple won’t invade your right to privacy – March 2, 2015
Survey: People trust U.S. NSA more than Google – October 29, 2014
Edward Snowden’s privacy tips: ‘Get rid of Dropbox,” avoid Facebook and Google – October 13, 2014