Tim Cook says consumer data needs more protection

This morning, Apple CEO Tim Cook appeared at the annual China Development Forum in Beijing. In the midst of reports that 50 million Facebook users allegedly had their profiles used by Cambridge Analytica without their permission, Cook called for "well crafted" regulations to protect consumer data. The executive said that Apple has been worrying for years about people turning over personal data without fully understanding how it would be used.

Cook went on to say that certain information should not be readily available to use as a way to build a psychological profile. "The ability of anyone to know what you’ve been browsing about for years, who your contacts are, who their contacts are, things you like and dislike and every intimate detail of your life -- from my own point of view it shouldn’t exist," said Apple's CEO. The data mined from the 50 million Facebook users was reportedly used to figure out certain personality traits, including which political party each one supported.


Apple's Chief Executive also threw in his two cents on the U.S. imposition of tariffs on certain Chinese imports, and China's retaliation. "The countries that embrace openness do exceptional and the countries that don’t, don’t," Cook said. "It’s not a matter of carving things up between sides. I’m going to encourage that calm heads prevail." While the U.S. government has yet to reveal exactly which products will be affected by a 25% tariff, there is concern that any smartphone manufactured in China (including the Apple iPhone) would see a price hike in the states.

source: Bloomberg