Not a Crusade but a …

Molly Swiger

Tim Cook is fighting for Americans to increase the privacy used in technology. BBC News labeled his urging as a “privacy crusade.” It is not unusual that the technology industry is being accused of tampering with user security, but it is peculiar that the accusation is coming from Apple’s Chief Executive Officer. In medieval times, the crusades were a series of expeditions made by Europeans to recover the Holy Land from Muslims. It was a religious war, backed by a strong tension between Christians and non-Christians. Rory Cellan-Jones, the author of “Tech Tent: Tim Cook’s Privacy Crusade,” incorrectly categorizes Cook’s lobbying as a crusade. Instead, he should have used words such as campaign, promote, or work. The modern definition and usage of crusade differs from the actual Crusades.

Tim Cook explains the surveillance tactics being employed by companies online. User data is being stored and then traded and used against them “with military efficiency.” Companies take advantage of the lax security in order to increase their profits. Tim Cook favors Europe’s new privacy law: the GDPR. He believes that the United States should create something similar. Cook also acknowledges that some users will not be in favor of new regulations, as there is a trade-off between free service and advertisements. If users are going to see ads they might as well be relevant, right? However, Cook argues that Apple will not be able to reach its full potential without complete user trust. He is not the only big name in favor of the GDPR either. Mark Zuckerberg also believes GDPR-style regulation is not only necessary, but inevitable.

In contrast, the medieval Crusades included eight major military expeditions between 1096 and 1291. Both Christians and Muslims were jockeying for control of holy sites. The battles were extremely violent, bloody, and ruthless. They ultimately ended in the defeat of the Europeans but the reach of Christianity was extended far into the West, increasing the wealth and power of the Pope and Roman Catholic Church. Trade and transportation, and subsequently demand for supplies, also increased. Culturally, there are still remnants of hatred toward Christians for their actions during the Crusades.

Obviously, Cook’s urging for increased security carries a magnitude nowhere near that of the cause of the Crusades. Specifically, as there is no violence or religion involved in his technological campaign, it is not proper to refer to it as a crusade. One may argue that the cultural significance of changing privacy laws is enough for it is be labeled as a crusade. However, the privacy debate is focused more on the individual’s safety, rather than a difference between American and European culture. The GDPR is simply a model that Cook and Zuckerberg believe will benefit user safety. Tim Cook may strongly believe in privacy reform, but his struggle will never reach the ruthlessness or violence that occurred during the religious conflicts and therefore cannot be named a crusade.

Word Count: 486

Work Cited:

Cellan-Jones, Rory. “Tech Tent: Tim Cook’s Privacy Crusade.” BBC News, BBC, 26 Oct. 2018, http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-45993776.

“Crusades.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 7 June 2010, http://www.history.com/topics/middle-ages/crusades.

“Tim Cook.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 30 Oct. 2018, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Cook.