Quote of the day by Apple CEO Tim Cook: 'If you put a key under the mat for the cops, a burglar can find it, too' a stark warning on threats to
undermine privacy

Date:
Mon, 15 Jun 2026 22:00:00 +0000

Description:
Apple's outgoing chief executive has long been a proponent of pro-privacy systems, especially end-to-end encryption

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Although the need for data privacy seems to have been almost entirely undermined in the contemporary technology landscape, it was a hot topic a decade ago.

Apple , at the time at least, maintained a houlier-than-though stance compared with some of its competitors like Google and Facebook but also took a strong stance against governments around the world threatening to undermine encryption. "You put a key under the mat for the cops, a burglar can find it, too. Criminals are using every technology tool at their disposal to hack into peoples accounts. If they know theres a key hidden somewhere, they wont stop until they find it." Tim Cook, June 2015 Security versus privacy The debate of national security versus privacy is one that has raged for a couple of decades now, and one that's likely to continue raging into the next. Latest Videos From Watch full video here: Quote of the day This article is part of TechRadar Pro's QOTD project to provide an insight into the minds of the brightest and most recognized figures in the technology industry today and in years gone by. Read the full series here . Speaking at the EPIC Champions of Freedom event in 2015, Tim Cook laid into Silicon Valley rivals that were "gobbling up everything they can learn about you and trying to monetise it".

But he also highlighted the dangers of national governments undermining the privacy of the company's users (with encryption in use on iMessage and FaceTime) by stressing how any backdoors imposed on encrypted systems would
be exploited. You may like "Our mobile phones have become the greatest spy on the planet" - quote of the day by antivirus pioneer John McAfee From 'encryption backdoor' to 'lawful access' is a compromise between privacy, security, and law enforcement needs actually possible? Google joins privacy backlash and warns Canada Bill C-22 could 'break end-to-end encryption' and create a 'surveillance infrastructure' A matter of when, not if End-to-end encryption still faces the same threat from national governments in 2026 and beyond. Worries over the UK's Online Safety Act , for example, center on the provision for the government to scan encrypted messages.

In the US, meanwhile, there are mixed signals. In 2024, for instance, the government encouraged users to use encrypted channels to communicate with
each other in light of a massive cyber attack. Are you a pro? Subscribe to
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Cook's warning likened the introduction of a backdoor to leaving the key
under the mat, extending this analogy to suggest that cybercriminals will exploit it. In cybersecurity terms, we now understand that it's a matter of when, not if, attackers can take advantage of exploits. With the advent of AI-enabled cybercrime, attackers may strive to break any backdoor access.



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