:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/63703705/screenshot-2014-01-25-10-15-27.0.1467738764.0.png)
“From my point of view, number one, we need to be significantly more transparent,” said Apple CEO Tim Cook, speaking with ABC News on the occasion of the thirtieth anniversary of the Mac.
Of course, Cook wasn’t talking about Apple itself, where secrecy and locked doors and black drapes are the norm. He was talking about government surveillance. Cook was complaining that Apple is not allowed to disclose when user data is requested or shared with the U.S. National Security Agency.
Tech companies continue to insist they’ve been portrayed unfairly by the Edward Snowden disclosures, which essentially throw them under the bus with the U.S. government. “Much of what has been said isn’t true,” Cook said of accusations leveled at Apple. “There is no back door. The government doesn’t have access to our servers. They would have to cart us out in a box for that — and that just will not happen. We feel that strongly about it.”
In the segment, Cook didn’t address specific claims, such as a program called DROPOUTJEEP that allegedly implanted surveillance software on iPhones. Apple had previously denied knowledge of such a program.
Here’s the video:
This article originally appeared on Recode.net.
