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The CEO of Apple has launched its most virulent attack against technology companies that accumulate data.
At a conference in the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium, Tim Cook denounced the "industrial data complex" created to maximize profits.
"Our personal information, from everyday to deeply personal events, is turned into weapons against us with military efficiency," Cook told the 40th International Conference of Data Protection and Privacy Commissioners Wednesday .
"Every day, billions of dollars change hands and countless decisions are made based on our likes and dislikes, our friends and family, our relationships and conversations, our wishes and of our fears, our hopes and our dreams.
"These data threads, each quite harmless, are carefully assembled, synthesized, exchanged and sold.This process, created in the extreme, creates a sustainable digital profile and allows companies to know you better than yourself.
"We should not be concerned about the consequences, it's about surveillance, and these stocks of personal data only serve to enrich the companies that collect them. This should destabilize us. "
Cook has not mentioned Facebook or Google, but they are an obvious target because they have access to huge personal information deposits that allow them to customize advertising.
Cook once criticized Facebook for its approach to privacy, claiming Mark Zuckerberg's company went beyond self-regulation. Shortly after, Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook's operations director, said the company disagreed with Cook's characterization of his product.
Cook calls for US federal privacy laws
Mr. Cook then praised the privacy laws recently passed in Europe by the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation), adding that it was time for the United States to put in place regulations to protect privacy. Similar.
"It's time for the rest of the world, including my home country, to do the same," he said. "At Apple, we fully support a comprehensive federal law on privacy protection in the United States," he added after a wave of applause.
Cook admitted that his point of view is not necessarily popular in Silicon Valley.
"A lot of people would prefer that I did not say that.Some people oppose any formal privacy legislation, others will support the reform in public, then resist and the will go in camera, "he said.
"They may tell you that" our companies will never be able to realize the true potential of technology if they are constrained by privacy regulations. "But this notion is not just wrong, it is destructive ".
You can watch Cook's full speech here:
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