We believe that privacy is a fundamental human right. No matter what country you live in, that right should be protected in keeping with four essential principles:

First, companies should challenge themselves to de-identify customer data or not collect that data in the first place.

Second, users should always know what data is being collected from them and what it’s being collected for. This is the only way to empower users to decide what collection is legitimate and what isn’t. Anything less is a sham.

Third, companies should recognize that data belongs to users and we should make it easy for people to get a copy of their personal data, as well as correct and delete it.

And fourth, everyone has a right to the security of their data. Security is at the heart of all data privacy and privacy rights.

Technology is capable of doing great things. But it doesn’t want to do great things. It doesn’t want anything. That part takes all of us. We are optimistic about technology’s awesome potential for good — but we know that it won’t happen on its own.

– Tim Cook, October 24, 2018