It’s not easy operating in a world where “fake news” has become a term.
Apple CEO Tim Cook, in between tours of schools and meetings with developers in a trip to Britain, commented about the scourge of fake news in comments to The Telegraph.
Cook, who pointed to false stories that spread like wildfire across the internet as a “big problem in a lot of the world,” stated that tech companies have a responsibility to intervene,
“It has to be ingrained in the schools, it has to be ingrained in the public,” Cook said. “There has to be a massive campaign. We have to think through every demographic. We need the modern version of a public-service announcement campaign. It can be done quickly if there is a will.”
“All of us technology companies need to create some tools that help diminish the volume of fake news,” he added. “We must try to squeeze this without stepping on freedom of speech and of the press, but we must also help the reader. Too many of us are just in the complain category right now and haven’t figured out what to do.”
Apple is among several tech companies that has spoken out against the Trump administration’s ban on refugees and immigrants from seven predominantly Muslim countries. The company joined rivals Microsoft, Google, Amazon, and other tech industry giants to legally challenge the ban, which was blocked by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last week.
Cook made the remarks toward the end of his European tour, during which he visited France, Germany, and Scotland to accept an honorary doctorate from Glasgow University.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.
Via Macworld and The Telegraph