Apple CEO Tim Cook, in an interview at the TIME 100 summit in New York, called for more government regulation of technology to protect privacy and give people control over the information technology collects about them. companies.
"We all have to be honest with ourselves and admit that what we're doing isn't working," Cook said in an interview with former TIME editor-in-chief Nancy Gibbs. “Technology must be regulated. There are too many examples now where the lack of control has caused enormous harm to society.”
Tim Cook took over as CEO of Apple in 2011 after Steve Jobs left the company for health reasons. He is one of the most prominent and vocal figures in Silicon Valley, calling on the government to enter his industry to protect the rights of users to privacy of their data in the world of modern technology.
In the interview, Cook suggested that U.S. regulators should adopt Europe's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in 2018. “GDPR is not perfect,” says Tim. “But GDPR is a step in the right direction.”
In light of high-profile data breaches and foreign influence in political elections via social media, Cook believes the tech industry has no responsible choice but to accept greater government oversight, a position he outlined in a recent for an American weekly magazine .
“I hope we all take a strong stand for regulation—I don’t see any other way,” the Apple CEO said.
Cook also explained Apple's stance on transparency and money in politics. “We focus on politics, not politicians,” Cook said. “Apple does not have its own lobby in power. I refuse to have it because it simply shouldn’t exist.”
The CEO spoke about Apple's position on other issues such as immigration and education, as well as the company's new focus on health-related technologies, such as the newest Apple Watch, which last December received a built-in electrocardiogram imaging tool.
"I really think there will be a day when we look back and say, 'Apple's greatest contribution to humanity was in the area of healthcare.'
Cook also explained how Apple thinks about the relationship between people and the devices his company creates.
“Apple doesn't want to keep people glued to their phones, so we developed tools to help users track the amount of time they spend on their phones,” says Tim.
"Apple's goal has never been to maximize the time a user spends with Apple devices," Cook continued. “We never thought about it. We're not motivated to do this from a business standpoint, and we're certainly not motivated from a values standpoint."
“If you're looking at the phone more than at someone else's eyes, you're doing the wrong thing,” says Apple's CEO.
In addressing these issues, Cook returned to his own view of corporate responsibility. He argues that the heads of large companies should do what they think is right, instead of avoiding criticism and controversy.
“I try not to focus on who we upset,” Cook said. “In the end, what will be more important to us is whether we stood up for what we believed in, rather than whether others agree with it.”
Below you can watch the main part of the interview with Tim Cook at the Time 100 summit in English:
Source: 3dnews.ru