Attorney general wants to quiz Tim Cook about Apple Watch privacy

By

Photo: Apple.
Connecticut attorney general George Jepsen wants to know just closely Apple Watch will, err, watch you.

Tim Cook may have been on the receiving end of welcoming notes from other watchmakers now the Apple Watch has been announced, but not every note has been so friendly.

On Monday, the office of Connecticut attorney general George Jepsen revealed that he had sent an open letter to Tim Cook noting concerns about the privacy implications of Apple Watch, particularly related to the handling of health data.

In his letter, Jepsen requests a meeting with Apple to discuss how this information will be stored and safeguarded, perhaps partially provoked by concerns lingering from the recent iCloud hacking incident.

Jepsen wants to know whether personal and health information will be stored on the Apple Watch itself or on Apple servers. He says that he is not accusing Apple of anything, but rather trying to open up a dialog.

While the company has reportedly yet to respond, Jepsen may well find Apple agrees on many of his concerns. Recently the App Store’s Review Guidelines were updated, letting developers know that HealthKit data must not be stored on iCloud, and that apps are barred from sharing HealthKit data with third parties without user consent.

Tim Cook has also been outspoken about Apple’s difference from Google as a company — noting that Apple is not a business built on monetizing user data.

“You are not our product,” Cook said during his recent interview with Charlie Rose. “I think everyone has to ask, ‘How do companies make their money?’ Follow the money. And if they’re making money mainly by collecting gobs of personal data, I think you have a right to be worried and you should really understand what’s happening with that data.”

George Jepsen’s letter to Tim Cook, dated Friday 12th, can be read here.

Source: PCworld

 

Newsletters

Daily round-ups or a weekly refresher, straight from Cult of Mac to your inbox.

  • The Weekender

    The week's best Apple news, reviews and how-tos from Cult of Mac, every Saturday morning. Our readers say: "Thank you guys for always posting cool stuff" -- Vaughn Nevins. "Very informative" -- Kenly Xavier.