Apple’s Tim Cook criticises social media practices, intensifying Facebook conflict

Apple Inc Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook on Thursday criticised polarisation and misinformation on social media, intensifying a conflict between the iPhone maker and Facebook Inc.

In remarks delivered at the Computers, Privacy and Data Protection conference, Cook critiqued apps that he argued collect too much personal information and prioritise “conspiracy theories and violent incitement simply because of their high rates of engagement.”

“At a moment of rampant disinformation and conspiracy theories juiced by algorithms, we can no longer turn a blind eye to a theory of technology that says all engagement is good engagement — the longer the better — and all with the goal of collecting as much data as possible,” Cook said.