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I think that’s an over-simplistic view. Failing to adhere to Chinese law would mean exiting the Chinese market. If the US passed a similar law, Apple would be f
by cal5k 8y ago
I think that’s an over-simplistic view. Failing to adhere to Chinese law would mean exiting the Chinese market. If the US passed a similar law, Apple would be forced to comply with it (although they would at least have recourse through the courts to eventually show that such a law was, perhaps, unconstitutional).
- parthdesai 8y agoSure, but when you make blistering attack on "data industrial complex" and advocate privacy, you are held to the golden standard in the entire world. I personally believe that Apple complied to Chinese government's demands is because their bread and butter is in that country (the entire manufacturing of hardware devices).
- hellofunk 8y agoSounds like you are suggesting Apple should have simply stopped doing any business in China. Simple, right?
- kodablah 8y agoAs simple as asking a company built on data collection to stop collecting it. Maybe simpler.
- parthdesai 8y agoNo, just observing the hypocrisy in their pro-privacy statements. Or is it that privacy of Chinese users is not worth the same as that of wester users?
- fhood 8y agoi.e. they don't have a choice?
- parthdesai 8y agoSo, maybe don't say hypocritical statements like this? Google's and Fb's core business is ad-tech. Do they have a choice when it comes to data-collection? (I say this as someone who has uninstalled both Messenger and Fb app)
- cicero 8y agoOkay, Apple caved to save their bread and butter; I'm not nominating Apple for corporate sainthood. However, they are not building a business model based on exploiting our data. They should get credit for that and be allowed to point out the problem with that kind of business.
- tomnipotent 8y agoDo you follow the laws of foreign countries when you travel, even though you live somewhere else?
- justtopost 8y agoNot if they are immoral.
- parthdesai 8y agoIf they are that immoral to you, you can just choose not to visit that country. Edit: Would you go and visit North Korea on a vacation with your family?
- kodablah 8y ago> Failing to adhere to Chinese law would mean exiting the Chinese market So? Failing to adhere to ad-tech needs would mean exiting the ad-tech market. Did I miss the other company CEOs' blistering attacks on the "Chinese anti-privacy cooperation complex"? Can we at least admit, since violation of privacy by chosen market is a choice, that Tim Cook is a hypocrite?
- losteric 8y agoWhy is that hypocritical? Apple does not require that you upload personal data to their cloud, and Apple has no say in Chinese law. Additionally, Apple's participation in the market (or lack thereof) would have no impact on Chinese data privacy laws, but participation has positive global effects through economies of scale and R&D revenue. A real hypocrite would actually have to enable oppressive behavior... selling data mining technology, surveillance cameras, etc.
- kodablah 8y ago> Why is that hypocritical? Apple does not require that you upload personal data to their cloud, and Apple has no say in Chinese law. They have a say in whether they are complicit. That they choose to operate in that anti-privacy market while demeaning others choosing to operate in their anti-privacy market is hypocritical. Could be considered worse if you factor in the consequences of that data. > A real hypocrite would actually have to enable oppressive behavior We disagree on whether providing technology for oppressive behavior is "enabling" it.
- losteric 8y agoYou are right that Apple is complicit in Chinese domestic surveillance. I am not claiming otherwise. However, a hypocrite's stated beliefs directly contradicts their autonomous actions, often with intent to deceive. China's state coercion voids any claims of hypocrisy. Furthermore, from a privacy perspective I'd argue it is more ethical for Apple to participate than withdraw. Apple does try to provide as much privacy as possible within Chinese law, following the letter of the law and no more. Withdrawing forces people to use their competitors, which happily go beyond the law to appease state authorities.