Pretty Complex
In October 2018, at a European Union data privacy conference, Apple CEO Tim Cook attacked competitors, Facebook and Google. According to Cook, Facebook and Google's business models had become a "surveillance industry" and likened their services (unlike Apple's devices) to a "data industrial complex" [1].
Analysts quickly agreed that Cook's underlying intention might have been to spin better public relations for Apple after several unfriendly articles about Apple's tax-evasion strategies. However, Cook's comments provoked more than the expected rebukes from Google and Facebook – it drew the attention of people who have been following American politics and military strategies since WWII.
Many were reminded of US President Dwight D. Eisenhower's legendary farewell adress in 1961. The former five-star general and commander of Allied forces in Europe warned the American public about the risks and dangers the "military-industrial complex" (installed during and after WWII) posed for the free and democratic Western world. Even though Eisenhower wrote his speech in a time when tanks and oil dominated warfare, some of his words remain as powerful today as they were during the cold war [2].
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
US / Canada
UK / Australia
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
Plasma Ends LTS Releases
The KDE Plasma development team is doing away with the LTS releases for a good reason.
-
Arch Linux Available for Windows Subsystem for Linux
If you've ever wanted to use a rolling release distribution with WSL, now's your chance.
-
System76 Releases COSMIC Alpha 7
With scores of bug fixes and a really cool workspaces feature, COSMIC is looking to soon migrate from alpha to beta.
-
OpenMandriva Lx 6.0 Available for Installation
The latest release of OpenMandriva has arrived with a new kernel, an updated Plasma desktop, and a server edition.
-
TrueNAS 25.04 Arrives with Thousands of Changes
One of the most popular Linux-based NAS solutions has rolled out the latest edition, based on Ubuntu 25.04.
-
Fedora 42 Available with Two New Spins
The latest release from the Fedora Project includes the usual updates, a new kernel, an official KDE Plasma spin, and a new System76 spin.
-
So Long, ArcoLinux
The ArcoLinux distribution is the latest Linux distribution to shut down.
-
What Open Source Pros Look for in a Job Role
Learn what professionals in technical and non-technical roles say is most important when seeking a new position.
-
Asahi Linux Runs into Issues with M4 Support
Due to Apple Silicon changes, the Asahi Linux project is at odds with adding support for the M4 chips.
-
Plasma 6.3.4 Now Available
Although not a major release, Plasma 6.3.4 does fix some bugs and offer a subtle change for the Plasma sidebar.