Apple has been eager to point out lately that unlike Google and Facebook it doesn’t collect or sell your personal information. It’s been a great way for the company to differentiate itself from its competitors and Apple has apparently won over Edward Snowden in the process.
In a recent interview, Snowden was asked whether he thinks Tim Cooks perspective on privacy has been genuine and honest, to which Snowden replied, “it doesn’t matter if he’s being honest or dishonest,” but “that’s a good thing for privacy. That’s a good thing for customers.”
Snowden pointed out that Apple obviously has a financial incentive to differentiate itself from competitors, and we should incentivize other companies to follow their path:
“We should support vendors who are willing to innovate….If instead we align ourselves with our customers and what they really want, if we can outcompete people on the value of our products without needing to subsidize that information that we’ve basically stolen from our customers, that’s absolutely something that should be supported,” Snowden told TechCrunch. “And regardless of whether it’s honest or dishonest, for the moment, now, that’s something we should support, that’s something we should incentivize, and it’s actually something we should emulate.”
Tim Cook has taken a hard stance on protecting customer’s data. Earlier this month Cook spoke at the “Champions of Freedom” awards and told attendees that ‘morality demands’ security with privacy. Snowden said should Apple ever reverse that stance in the future, ‘a much bigger hammer’ should come against them for betraying the public’s trust, but hopefully that won’t happen.
“But I would like to think that based on the leadership that Tim Cook has shown on this position so far. He’s spoken very passionately about private issues, that we’re going to see that continue and he’ll keep those promises.”
Source: TechCrunch
