Tim Cook has long taken a strong stance against the infringement of Apple users’ privacy – and the general erosion of privacy. That’s been the case whether he’s shown support for end-to-end encryption or if he’s railed against the monetization of user data.
“Our own information, from the everyday to the deeply personal, is being weaponized against us with military efficiency.”
The rise of data protection
Almost a decade ago, the European Union (EU) introduced the most radical reformations to data protection laws in a generation with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
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Several months later, the (now outgoing) Apple CEO spoke at the 40th International Conference of Data Protection and Privacy Commissioners with a speech that targeted Apple’s fellow technology rivals with both barrels.
He pointed out that billions of dollars were changing hands – and countless decisions were being made based on data points harvested from our interactions on digital platforms. These may include clicks of a Like button but also the information we have shared, often without understanding the full implications.
Your very own digital profile
Cook projected a dystopian future in which each person would be represented by a digital profile that’s been devised based on analysis of the countless data points systems have gathered.
The purpose of this form of behavioral profiling, he suggested in his speech, could range from more effectively monetising your information to targeting you with more extremist content in one direction or another.
For example, we’ve since seen the way that social media platforms and similar sites have been highly effective in populist political movements, including the U.K. ‘Brexit’ decision to leave the EU. There are also fears this sort of power has been weaponized, to use Cook’s phrase, by foreign adversaries.
Nearly 10 years on from the introduction of GDPR, there are fears that the rise of AI – which is turbocharging some of the fears the outgoing Apple boss raised – is undermining the laws and that newer, more modern regulations are needed.
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