BlackBerry CEO John Chen has said he is “disturbed” by Apple’s tough approach to encryption and user privacy, warning that the firm’s attitude is harmful to society.
Now, we already know that Chen and Apple don’t see eye-to-eye on security. In December, Chen waded into Apple’s FBI encryption battle in which the iPhone maker resisted government demands to unlock a device because it would be an “unprecedented step which threatens the security of customers”.
Chen remarked: “We are indeed in a dark place when companies put their reputations above the greater good.”
“One of our competitors, we call it ‘the other fruit company’, has an attitude that it doesn’t matter how much it might hurt society, they’re not going to help,” he said.
“I found that disturbing as a citizen. I think BlackBerry, like any company, should have a basic civil responsibility. If the world is in danger, we should be able to help out.”
