Apple opposes providing encryption back doors for government

Apple chief executive officer, Tim Cook again opposed the concept of providing back doors for the government to the encrypted devices. Cook's view basically reiterates what Information Technology Industry Council (ITI) has previously noted.

The ITI, which is a group of major tech companies including Google, Apple, Facebook, Microsoft, Yahoo, LinkedIn, Samsung, Sony, Qualcomm, Nokia, Motorola, Corning and IBM had earlier rejected calls for providing law enforcement agencies back doors to encrypted devices saying that could create vulnerabilities to be exploited by criminals.

In an interview with CBS News 60 Minutes, Tim Cook says providing backdoor for the government for national securities does not bring any solution for preventing attacks. The interview was taken before Paris attack, where the attackers believed to have used encrypted messages to communicate. However, Cook said the attacks did not change his opinion on letting law enforcement agencies access to user's private communication.

He said: "There have been people that suggest that we should have a back door. But the reality is if you put a back door in, that back door's for everybody, for good guys and bad guys. I don't believe that the trade off here is privacy versus national security. I think that's an overly simplistic view. We're America. We should have both."

US tax code

While replying to a question about several Congress people believe that the company is engaged in a scheme to pay $74bn (£50bn) in overseas revenue and that it avoids tax on overseas profit, Tim Cook said "That is total political crap. There is no truth behind it. Apple pays every tax dollar we owe. We pay more taxes in this country than anyone."

He further added that two-third of company's revenue comes from overseas. However, very much like any other companies, Apple keeps the overseas income in foreign subsidies to avoid paying US tax. Although it would "love" to repatriate the revenue, provided it does not have to pay 40% tax to bring the money back home.

Criticising the tax code, Cook said, "This is a tax code that was made for the industrial age, not the digital age. It's backwards. It's awful for America. It should have been fixed many years ago. It's past time to get it done."