Apple chief Tim Cook has warned tech giants that they must take responsibility for how their platforms are used, in a thinly-veiled swipe at rivals such as Facebook.
The Silicon Valley CEO told his tech competitors: 'If you’ve built a chaos factory, you can’t dodge responsibility for the chaos.'
Highlighting the range of problems which have damaged big tech's reputation, including fake news, data breaches and hate speech, he said that 'too many seem to think that good intentions excuse away harmful outcomes'.
Cook, who was speaking to Stanford graduates at their commencement in California, said a loss of privacy online could mean 'we lose the freedom to be human'.
Apple chief Tim Cook (pictured at the Stanford commencement address on Sunday) has warned tech giants that they must take responsibility for how their platforms are used
He did not mention any companies by name, but concerns over privacy and misinformation have dogged Facebook and Twitter in recent years.
Speaking yesterday, the 58-year-old told Stanford's Class of 2019 that nearby Silicon Valley was behind 'some of the most revolutionary inventions in modern history'.
'But lately, it seems, this industry is becoming better known for a less noble innovation: the belief that you can claim credit without accepting responsibility,' he said, earning some applause from the audience.
He went on: 'We see it every day now, with every data breach, every privacy violation, every blind eye turned to hate speech.
'Fake news poisoning our national conversation. The false promise of miracles in exchange for a single drop of your blood.
'Too many seem to think that good intentions excuse away harmful outcomes.'
'It feels a bit crazy that anyone should have to say this. But if
