Cook replied that he believed Google’s search engine was the best and that for the sake of privacy, Apple added controls to its Safari browser to prevent the tracking of search history and the collection of user data. He mentioned that even though it was not perfect, it was still helpful.
Last month, at a conference, Cook referred to the collection of user data by tech companies for the purpose of targeted advertising as a form of surveillance. These remarks were believed to be targeted against companies like Google and Facebook (FB), which generate the majority of their revenues from advertising based on such data, although the Apple chief did not specifically name the two firms.
With iPhone hype reaching its peak, Apple needs a reality check
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Cook also said that tech companies do not build good or bad products as such but they need to realize that their products could be misused. The CEO said that he was a supporter of the free market and was not a fan of regulation but in the current scenario the free market did not appear to be working.
Cook said that it was inevitable that some form of regulation would be passed at some point and that the technology industry should be willing to accept those regulations. As of 10:45 am ET, Apple’s stock was down 3.2%.