Lawmakers Want Apple to Turn Privacy Talk into Action

Tim cook

Although Tim Cook vocally supports privacy laws in the United States, Apple doesn’t actually support many of them.

A number of privacy advocates and U.S. lawmakers — who did not attend the meeting — say Apple has not put enough muscle behind any federal effort to tighten privacy laws. And state lawmakers, who are closest to passing rules to limit data sharing, say Apple is an ally in name only — and in fact has contributed to lobbying efforts that might undermine some new data-protection legislation.

This is something I’ve noticed as well. I think Tim and co should do more to support privacy legislation.

Check It Out: Lawmakers Want Apple to Turn Privacy Talk into Action

5 thoughts on “Lawmakers Want Apple to Turn Privacy Talk into Action

  • Apple uses “privacy” as a red herring knowing that as China pulls farther and farther away from the world to lead AI development that giving up data is absolutely necessary for AI to work. See Neural Networks. The more of “you” AI knows – the more you’ll get from it. The Chinese have automated restaurants and 7/11 type stores with no human idiots manning them – we aren’t even close to that automation; and ask them if they mind giving up their data they say no. If anything it makes them feel safer. Apple can keep talking ‘privacy’ all they want (while fighting against right to repair, making vast sums by using Chinese labor etc) as long as they aren’t a player in anything not related to toy phones. Poor Timmy is a little thick – just ask Mr. Ive.

    1. What apologist bunk. Apple doesnt need pictures of my mountains to teach machine learning about mountains. Or cars. Or cats. Or beaches. Or just about anything. Sure it costs more money for apple to get its own data rather than using me a serf/slave labor, but that is exactly the point. Apple spends money on this.

      Furthermore there is no AI. There is just machine learning. Machine learning can be taught to find pictures of faces and puppies etc. It can’t ask itself, what do I feel like learning about today. Tired of this constant misnomer of AI.

      Anyhow, having a 7/11 that is automated is laughable. We had automated vending machine luncheon places in the 50s. Far from the halmark of automation. And Amazon has stores with no attendants, again, far from a hallmark of automation.

      The only thing that facebook does better is knowing you better, and quite frankly, that’s something I’m happy apple chooses not to know about me and individuals. Precisely because it values privacy.

      Amazon on the other hand pumps my account for every morsel about me, and still cant make a recommendation worth a damn. This notion that your privacy needs to be violated to “help” you with AI/machine learning better is a false dichotomy trope. Anyone with any tech chops should be able to see right through it.

  • I couldn’t disagree more. What this is, is a shakedown. Let me translate from legislature speak. “Hi, this is a stick up, we want your lobby dollars going into our pockets. Also since we’re completely incompetent and can’t actually do our jobs of writing laws, we’d like you to do that for us, but of course will take credit, after you finish paying us.”

    Apple has its privacy house in order. But it’s not doing enough? Ridiculous. That it isnt is bologna, and fraudulent claim by 2 but hucksters that couldn’t do better than land a govt job to defraud the public at larger scale. Apple on the other hand has defended privacy by its deeds, to the detriment of its picket book, and have been proven so. Not monetizing user information for ADD click.Differential privacy. Standing up to the federal subpoena on a proven bogus govt request. End to end encryption. It’s actually doing a lot.

    Maybe if the goddamn useless Congress would do it’s goddamn job, and not look like a pandering panhandler 99.9% of its existence, something actually positive would get done. But the cowards can’t get anything done, they need cover from Apple, and money, so if something doesn’t go right, they have someone to blame. It’s pathetic on every front. Could not be more in disagreement with your assessment here.

    1. Fully agree John. To elaborate a little, lets look at it this way…

      Maybe Facebook is paying well for legislation (that they’ve already written and handed over) that won’t infringe on their business model in reality, but might seem so in name. Like Zuck’s ‘seen the light’ statement on privacy – a lot of carefully worded talk.

      And if Apple wants its version of privacy, they will have to pay more money and write better legislation. It’s just good business.

      Facebook has been adamant all along – they don’t sell your data. They buy more of it to add to their data (for example, from credit card companies) to better target advertising that Facebook sells to advertisers. They don’t sell your data, but they still sell YOU.

      Let’s not forget about Google, either.

      To be fair to politicians, they DO complain that they are required to spend most of their time fund raising. A seat on a committee can require them fundraising a million dollars or more. So they’re hard workers those committee members, just not on the issues with which the committee is dealing. Hey, that’s democracy at work for you.

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