Apple CEO Calls for Comprehensive U.S. Data Privacy Laws

During a keynote address at an international conference on data and privacy organized by the European Union, Apple CEO Tim Cook issued one of the company’s strongest rebukes yet against what he called a “data-industrial complex” that’s rapidly emerging in the tech sector. In doing so, Cook said the U.S. government would be wise to adopt laws similar to those enacted by some of the attendees to whom he was speaking back in May.

Of course, the E.U. enacted its much discussed General Data Protection Rules earlier this year in an attempt to put users’ data very much under their own control. The standards are viewed as being incredibly tough for businesses (and publishers, admittedly) to follow, but the impetus behind them is one that shows the European bloc was willing to go to great lengths to ensure their citizens have control over their data. Though individual states have their own privacy laws and the federal government has some policies that cover specific segments like healthcare information, there is no overarching legislation like GDPR.

And that, Cook said, is an issue.