Apple’s CEO Tim Cook Criticizes Social Media Practices

Apple Inc Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook on Thursday criticized polarization and misinformation on social media.

In remarks delivered at the Computers, Privacy and Data Protection conference, Cook critiqued apps that he argued collect too much personal information and prioritize “conspiracy theories and violent incitement simply because of their high rates of engagement.”

“At a moment of rampant disinformation and conspiracy theories juiced by algorithms, we can no longer turn a blind eye to a theory of technology that says all engagement is good engagement — the longer the better — and all with the goal of collecting as much data as possible,” Cook said.

“It is long past time to stop pretending that this approach doesn’t come with a cost — of polarization, of lost trust and, yes, of violence,” Cook said. “A social dilemma cannot be allowed to become a social catastrophe.”

Reuters

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