Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Tim Cook makes blistering attack on the “data industrial complex”

techcrunch.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

291–300 of 546 posts

Re: Tim Cook makes blistering attack on the “data industrial complex”

#291

Post by fhood »

parthdesai wrote: post #262
cal5k wrote: post #252

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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).

Sure, 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).

i.e. they don't have a choice?

Re: Tim Cook makes blistering attack on the “data industrial complex”

#292

Post by jessaustin »

Spooky23 wrote: post #259
Ensorceled wrote: post #194

The only problem is that Apple is the Mercedes of mobile devices. We really need a Honda and Kia version, a more affordable device that doesn’t track you. Apple is never going to give up their premium position.

Not really. They own like 50% of the market. They position like 1960 GM. The $1,500 iPhone is the aspirational thing that everyone talks about. If you have money, you buy the iPhone Xs (ie the Cadillac), if you want to look "better", buy the Xr (Buick), if you don't care, you buy the iPhone 7 (the Chevy). There is almost nothing that the $1,500 phone does that the $1 phone does not. The cheapo androids are more like…

Calling that "$1" is an impressive lack of financial clue.

Re: Tim Cook makes blistering attack on the “data industrial complex”

#293

Post by yanonymous2 »

stult wrote: post #34
orbifold wrote: post #23

It's sad how the introduction of a new class of devices "smartphones" brought along with it a surveillance software platform in the form of Android. Where it is clear that the only incentive for google to develop it is exfiltration of as much personal data as they can. In contrast in the case of Apple you have a customer relationship with the company that sold you the device and they have an incentive to keep you as…

I would kill for a Linux phone, but until that happens I would settle for a phone that comes with root access (or at least allows technically capable users to get it) and let's me control my own data and device from the bare metal up. Because even if Apple has less incentive to exfiltrate data, I don't want to have to trust any company to do the right thing or to keep doing it.

The main problem is that custom privacy-focused Android versions have to be made compatible for every device and devices come and go all the time.

At some point, hardware progress will be so minimal and devices so easy to manufacture that small companies can offer their own high-end phones and can build for them some years without really being much behind the competition.

When that happens, custom ROMs can really lift off and I don't think we're so far away. One or two more generations of smaller chips and better batteries. We're already at the point where the only innovation is adding more cameras.

Re: Tim Cook makes blistering attack on the “data industrial complex”

#294

Post by RandallBrown »

WhompingWindows wrote: post #284
Spooky23 wrote: post #259

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not really. They own like 50% of the market. They position like 1960 GM. The $1,500 iPhone is the aspirational thing that everyone talks about. If you have money, you buy the iPhone Xs (ie the Cadillac), if you want to look "better", buy the Xr (Buick), if you don't care, you buy the iPhone 7 (the Chevy). There is almost nothing that the $1,500 phone does that the $1 phone does not. The cheapo androids are more like…

Where is your evidence supporting the claim that Apple owns 50% of the market? That is way above the figures I have seen. Seems to me you are just pulling metrics out of thin air in this post.

https://www.statista.com/statistics/266572/market-share-held...

Says about 44%, which is pretty close to "like 50%"

Re: Tim Cook makes blistering attack on the “data industrial complex”

#295

Post by anonuser123456 »

andy_ppp wrote: post #42

Seeing as Google pays Apple $12bn to be the default search engine on iOS devices I’m tempted to call hypocrisy here... http://fortune.com/2018/09/29/google-apple-safari-search-eng...

As a user, I can choose to change the default at no cost.

Re: Tim Cook makes blistering attack on the “data industrial complex”

#296

Post by cicero »

parthdesai wrote: post #262
cal5k wrote: post #252

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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).

Sure, 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).

Okay, 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.

Re: Tim Cook makes blistering attack on the “data industrial complex”

#298

Post by tomnipotent »

parthdesai wrote: post #262
cal5k wrote: post #252

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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).

Sure, 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).

Do you follow the laws of foreign countries when you travel, even though you live somewhere else?

Re: Tim Cook makes blistering attack on the “data industrial complex”

#299

Post by TeMPOraL »

booleandilemma wrote: post #129
ganzuul wrote: post #104

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Dubious proposition. Many programmers work to solve political problems through technological means. TOR is an example of this.

You can’t solve a political problem through technological means, you can only provide workarounds. Geeky, awkward workarounds. TOR is an example of this.

You absolutely can. Politics follows technology, not the other way around. At minimum, technology gives politicians new options.

Re: Tim Cook makes blistering attack on the “data industrial complex”

#300

Post by mdm_ »

gaius wrote: post #97
EastSmith wrote: post #78

I have owned couple of google phones (Nexus and Pixel). Today for the first time ever I am considering buying an iPhone. I would pay premium for privacy on Google devices if they make it available. And we now know what the price is - $40 in EU. Just sell it like this Google.

have owned couple of google phones (Nexus and Pixel). Today for the first time ever I am considering buying an iPhone I was a BlackBerry die-hard until they switched to Android. A privacy-focused phone using a Google OS, what a joke. Switched to iPhone and it’s pretty good, only thing I miss is the real keyboard.

I have a Key2 which I bought because I like the physical keyboard, battery life, features, and physical appearance/feel, but I don't buy any of the security/privacy marketing for a second. The phone runs a boatload of services from Google and BlackBerry which I don't know what they're actually doing and you can't turn off or disable without breaking features. I operate under the assumption that Google can (and does) track what I'm doing and where I'm going, even though I've disabled as much of this tracking as the settings allow, and that BlackBerry could decrypt my "secure" file storage locker and bypass my fingerprint/PIN in an instant if they wanted/were compelled to.
Post reply on HN