In a new interview with Brut, Tim Cook claimed that Android had 47 times more malware than iOS. Apple’s CEO Tim Cook sat down for a remote interview at the Viva Tech conference. In the interview, Tim discussed Apple’s commitment to privacy, the company’s plans about AR, differences between Android and iOS, and more.
The conversation started with Tim Cook talking about how COVID-19 affected Apple. He claimed that he was proud of the efforts Apple took as part of COVID relief, by distributing masks and ventilators, as well as by their Exposure Notification API which saved ‘thousands’ of people.
Much of the conversation then revolved around privacy, and what it means to Apple. Tim, once again, reiterated that privacy is at the heart of Apple.
“We’ve been focused on privacy for over a decade. We see it as a basic human right. A fundamental human right. And we’ve been focused on privacy for decades. Steve used to say privacy was stating in plain language what people are signing up for and getting their permission. And that permission should be asked repeatedly. We’ve always tried to live up to that. […]
If everyone is worried someone else is watching them, they begin to do less, think less. And no one wants to live in a world where freedom of expression narrows. Privacy goes to the heart of just one of the key values of Apple.”
Android Has More Malware Than iOS
The talk then shifted to the latest DMA rules. According to the new rules, Apple will have to allow side-loading on iOS. Strongly disagreeing with the rules, Cook said that features like App Store nutrition labels and App Tracking Transparency “would not exist anymore.”
“I would say [side-loading] would damage both privacy and security. I mean, you look at malware as an example, and Android has 47x more malware than iOS. Why is that? It’s because we’ve designed iOS in such a way that there’s one App Store and all of the apps are reviewed prior to going on the store. That keeps a lot of this malware stuff out of our ecosystem. Customers have told us very continuously how much they value that. And so we’re going to be standing up for the user in the discussions and we’ll see where it goes. I’m optimistic, I think most people looking at security know that security is a major risk”
Tim Cook Avoid Apple Car Talk
Towards the end of the interview, Tim Cook was asked about the Apple Car. As expected, Cook declined to comment by saying, “In terms of a car, I’ve got to keep some secrets. There always has to be something up our sleeve, so I don’t think I’ll comment on the car rumor.”
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