U.S. Lawmakers should improve privacy laws, which are currently under discussion, "as much as possible," Apple CEO Tim Cook said in a letter to Congress on Friday.
"We recognize that there are unresolved issues that need to be resolved, but the areas of the agreement seem to outweigh the differences far," Cook said in a letter from news. "Your project will offer significant consumer protection, and we are writing to offer our strong support in achieving this common goal."
Apple has long positioned itself as the most privacy-focused company of its tech peers, and Cook regularly raises the issue in speeches and meetings. Apple says its commitment to privacy is a deep-rooted value among its employees, often referring to the phrase "Privacy is a fundamental human right."
It's also strategic for Apple's hardware business. The laws governing how much data companies collect or process play a role in Apple's current privacy capabilities and could even give Apple an edge over competitors who must rebuild their systems to comply with the law.
The Senate, meanwhile, is poised to consider a separate bill that Apple is challenging. The law focuses on antitrust laws and will force Apple to allow users to install software from the network, which the company says would compromise iPhone security.
Several draft Privacy Act, U.S. The Privacy and Data Protection Act is currently under consideration by Congress.
The bill provides consumer protections and rights over how their data is used online and requires companies to minimize the amount of data they collect for their users.
One contentious issue is whether the bill will provide exceptions for states with privacy laws, such as the California Consumer Privacy Act.
Another issue that business groups have with the law is the right of individuals to prosecute violations. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has challenged the law, calling it "unenforceable" after urging Congress to pass federal privacy rules to thwart a series of state laws.
Apple has taken a different stance, saying concerns about implementation details outweigh support for federal privacy laws. However, Cook tweeted last week that Apple supports the "strongest privacy laws."
