Tim Cook: Personal Data Money
on Friday, November 1, 2019Tim Cook Money Quote saying that when a business makes money by collecting personally identifiable information (PII) they are a personal risk. Tim Cook said:
“I think everyone has to ask, how do companies make their money? Follow the money. And if they’re making money mainly by collecting gobs of personal data, I think you have a right to be worried” — Tim Cook
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In this quote, Tim Cook is encouraging people to carefully consider how technology companies generate their revenue. He suggests that if a company’s main source of income is collecting and monetizing large amounts of personal user data, through means like targeted advertising, then users have valid cause for concern about their privacy.
Cook appears to be implying that a business model overly reliant on harvesting personal information to sell or use may not always have users’ best interests in mind.
Overall, the quote conveys Cook’s view that people should thoughtfully examine the “follow the money” incentives at play and be wary if a service is profiting predominantly off accumulating individual data rather than through direct user payments or other means.