Tim Cook sounds alarm over privacy ‘crisis’ amidst criticism of social media and search engines

In the ongoing battle for online privacy, the chief executive of Apple, Tim Cook, has emphasized the need for tech firms and governments to protect users from “data-hungry companies” that collect personal information without permission. Cook warned that society would become “less innovative and less human” if privacy is compromised. Additionally, he called on regulators to prevent users from bypassing Apple’s privacy and security rules through sideloading third-party apps.

Apple has faced pressure from competition authorities in the US and Europe, who are concerned about the fees developers must pay on its App Store, with some as high as 30%. These authorities have called for increased competition by allowing sideloading, a practice already permitted by Google’s Android operating systems.

Speaking at the International Association of Privacy Professionals’ Global Privacy Summit, Cook stated, “A world without privacy is less imaginative, less empathetic, less innovative. Less human. At this very moment, companies are mining data about details of our lives, from the shops we visit to the websites we browse. They believe they have the right to peer deeply into our personal lives without our permission.”

Cook drew attention to the disparity between Apple’s strict policy of reviewing all software before it is uploaded to its App Store and Google’s more open approach to sideloading. Proposed legislation in the US and Europe seeks to force Apple to allow sideloading, a move that Cook believes would undermine privacy and expose users to potential security risks.

Addressing the concerns surrounding sideloading, Cook stated, “If we are forced to let unvetted apps onto iPhone, the unintended consequences will be profound. It is our responsibility to advocate for shared goals that do not compromise privacy.”

Sideloading has been a point of contention between Apple and the European Union, with the latter’s Digital Markets Act aiming to give smartphone users the choice to use alternative app stores. While there are technical methods to enable sideloading on iPhones, they are primarily intended for app developers rather than consumers. In contrast, Apple’s competitor, Google, already allows users to install apps from sources other than its Play Store.