Apple Chief of Privacy Jane Horvath will be leaving the tech company after more than long employment. Horvath was one of the top executives at Apple to hold the title of “chief officer”.
A trainer lawyer, Horvath worked at Google and the Department of Justice in the United States before joining Apple in 2011. Prior to taking the role of COP in 2021, she served as the company’s senior director of global privacy. According to Bloomberg, her efforts in the company’s legal battle with the FBI earned her massive respect and prominence.
She rose to prominence inside the company after it clashed with the FBI in 2016 over whether to unlock a shooting suspect’s iPhone. Apple refused, saying the move would create a backdoor that undermines the iPhone’s security. The government ultimately unlocked the device without the company’s help.
Apple former COP will join Jane Horvath law firm, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP
The report states that Horvath communicated the news of her departure in an internal memo and will be joining the Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP law firm which fought Apple’s case against Epic Games over 30% App Store commission for in-app purchases.
The tech giant has not yet announced who will be replacing her “increasingly key to Apple’s strategy.”
Horvath, who took the title of chief privacy officer last year, served as the company’s face in promoting its safeguards, alongside Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook. The tech giant has touted features such as on-device processing and web-tracking prevention — as well as stricter app advertising policies that have been controversial.
Recently, she discussed her experience at Apple and the company’s privacy policy with ELLE.com. Horvath said that her work at the tech company provides her with the best of both worlds: civil liberties and human rights.
She also emphasized the need for all users to protect their privacy online, and thoroughly think before posting anything because “once data “gets out there and it’s very hard to bring it back”.
