Tim Cook’s Company-Wide Email on Hkmap.live Doesn’t Add Up

Post by __m » Fri, Oct 11, 2019, 5:00 AM UTC

dilippkumar wrote: post #188

artfulhippo wrote: post #2

Apple caved under pressure from China. The explanation Cook gave is not just an embarrassment, it calls into question the veracity of all of his other statements. Why should users believe that (closed source) iMessage encryption is free from backdoors when we know that Cook will dance around sensitive truths? And why should the US government be satisfied with a fully encrypted iMessage given that Apple will cave to d…

Your comment has made a really really deep impression on me. For the past several years, I’ve been a hardcore Apple loyalist only for their stance on privacy and security. It’s time to stop being deluded. I’m going to stop paying premium for apple and assume all my devices are hostile by default. What the actual fuck Apple.

Post by solidsnack9000 » Fri, Oct 11, 2019, 5:03 AM UTC

summerlight wrote: post #206

solidsnack9000 wrote: post #198

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If the alternative were to lose manufacturing capacity, it wouldn’t be “...compromising immediately when $$$ is at stake.”. What’s at stake then is the future of the company — everyone’s jobs, industries that have come to rely on Macs, the consumers that have come to rely on iPhones. Just folding up and losing the $$$ isn’t the path of courage here.

And still Apple hasn't even begun to migrate off from Chinese manufacturers while Samsung has shut down most of its factories in China and heavily invested into Vietnam supply chains. The only meaningful explanation is that Apple still gains a significant chunk of its margin from the China market while Samsung has lost almost all of its market share there. I'm pretty sure that Apple had a clear understanding of this…

Post by virgilp » Fri, Oct 11, 2019, 5:13 AM UTC

millstone wrote: post #147

untog wrote: post #114

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If Apple capitulates to every demand the Chinese government makes then perhaps there isn’t much of a difference.

Right. But of course the Chinese government has asked Apple for a backdoor, and (to our knowledge) Apple has not provided that. So long as that's true, an iPhone really is one of the most secure option for Chinese residents.

Post by ikeboy » Fri, Oct 11, 2019, 5:25 AM UTC

lern_too_spel wrote: post #197

panda88888 wrote: post #144

I am not surprised by this. I always thought Tim Cook talks a good talk, but fails to walk the walk when the stakes at hand is real. He’s fine with standing up to the CIA/FBI because he knows it’s good PR for business and the US government cannot do anything without a lengthy court fight that is mostly fair. Same with other US domestic issues such as DACA, sane sex marriage, etc. But when it comes to the PRC governme…

When did he stand up to the CIA? As far as standing up to the FBI, the impetus behind that was to cover up another lie. Apple had told customers "it's not technically feasible" for Apple to respond to data requests and got a mountain of free press for it. The FBI showed a method by which Apple could obtain the encrypted data on those devices. Soon after, that claim disappeared from Apple's "Privacy" marketing page. h…

Post by Aloha » Fri, Oct 11, 2019, 5:29 AM UTC

kerkeslager wrote: post #213

Aloha wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The US isn't a closed market and can't effectively eject Apple from the market. While I disagree with the choice Apple made, it's a very rational one. Permanent removal from China would probably be worse for freedom in China over 20 years, and massively worse for Apple in the short term. No company should be expected to back or foment a revolution somewhere, from my perspective they're looking out for their own beet…

> Permanent removal from China would probably be worse for freedom in China over 20 years, Huh? > No company should be expected to back or foment a revolution somewhere, from my perspective they're looking out for their own beet interest and the best interest of their customers. Profit is not an adequate moral compass. I deeply disagree that by forming a corporation, individuals who would otherwise have ethical oblig…