VIDEO: Apple Pay Will Get You Into National Parks Starting In September
PALO ALTO (CBS SF) -- Apple CEO Tim Cook announced during a White House summit on cybersecurity at Stanford Friday that Apple Pay is partnering with the federal government for some financial transactions.
While reaffirming that Apple does not track Apple Pay data, Cook said the service will be available for many government-related transactions starting in September. This includes paying for admission into national parks, receiving benefits like Social Security payments and expenses for government employees.
Cook also pledged to work more closely with the White House to protect privacy without going into detail of what that might entail.
"Security and convenience can work in harmony. This is a world of greater privacy and a world where criminals find it much more difficult to carry out their crimes. No single company or organization can accomplish this on its own. We are committed to engaging with the White House and Congress and putting things into action.
When it comes to the rights of customers and citizens, we're all talking about the same people. People have entrusted us with their most personal and precious information and we owe them nothing less than the best protections we can possibly provide by harnessing the technology at our disposal.
We must get this right. History has shown us that sacrificing our right to privacy can have dire consequences."