During his speech at President Obama’s Summit on Cybersecurity and Consumer Protection on Friday, Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook announced that the U.S. government will begin accepting Apple Pay for some transactions, starting with admission to national parks.
Cook’s speech was a not-so-thinly veiled critique of competitors such as Google, who make money off of advertising to users and collecting their personal information to allow for more targeted ads. But Cook portrayed Apple as a company that’s focused on selling great products, “not on selling your personal data.”
Cook then began to discuss Apple Pay, touting the U.S. governments acceptance of Apple Pay for certain transactions.
“Beginning in September, Apple Pay will be available for many transactions with the federal government,” Cook said. “Like, for example, when you pay for admission to your favorite national park.”
Cook also noted the news from earlier in the day from the White House announcing that the government plans to add Apple Pay support for federal payment cards, such as Social Security and veterans benefits cards.
Cook discussed Apple’s focus on security, suggesting that was one of the reasons the government was eager to embrace Apple Pay.
“We don’t know your credit card number or what you bought or how much you paid,” Cook said. “And we don’t want to.”
Cook looked to the future, when he believes the traditional wallet will become a relic of the past.
“We can imagine a day in the not-so-distant future when your wallet becomes a remnant of the past, your passport, your driver’s license, and other important documents can be digitally stored in a way that’s safe, secure, and easy to access. But only by you,” he said. “After all, we shouldn’t have to trade our security for the convenience of having all of this information at our fingertips.”
