Apple is widely rumored to unveil a new NFC-based mobile payments service tied into the iPhone and iWatch later today.
But there’s a problem. In the aftermath of the Fappening, the massive iCloud breach that leaked nude and pornographic images of Jennifer Lawrence, Kate Upton and more, it’s bad timing. Apple’s name is synonymous in the news with security breaches right now. People may not want to trust the company with their financial data if Apple can’t even protect the nudes of celebrities.
So maybe Apple shouldn’t push payments during today’s big event. Or at least not at first. Maybe Tim Cook should apologize instead.
The Magazine publisher Glenn Fleishman posted what he thinks Cook should say in the aftermath of the iCloud breach, and it’s a killer apology, a vow to do better and a statement of outrage, all in one.
Here’s what Fleischman thinks should be said at the beginning of today’s event:
You’ve seen all the coverage about hacked accounts and stolen private images and data. We at Apple are appalled about this and as soon as we were alerted, began days of auditing, and immediately fixed problems that abetted the password cracking related to iCloud that led to some of these breaches.
You trust us with your most personal details, and we take this seriously. The possession and disclosure of private data is a crime. Make no mistake: This isn’t funny and the victims should not be blamed for trusting us and others. No one should be sniggering, shaming, or pointing figures. Criminals stole people’s information and then released it. We will do everything in our power to assist law enforcement to track them down for prosecution.
We have already taken some steps, and in the next two weeks will take more. We can do better.
To me, this reads exactly like something Cook would say: blunt, powerful, apologetic, honest and human. It’s the kind of apology Steve Jobs would never in a million years issue, which is part of what sets Cook apart from his predecessor.
What do you think? Would an apology from Cook make you more likely to trust Apple in the future, especially with something like payments?
Source: Glenn Fleishman
