- 26 May 2022
- HBS Case
Apple vs. Feds: Is iPhone Privacy a Basic Human Right?
Leaders today must be ready to take a stand on thorny social and political issues. A case study by Nien-hê Hsieh and Henry McGee examines how Apple CEO Tim Cook turned calls for data access into a rallying cry for privacy, and the complexities that followed.
- 12 Jul 2020
- Book
The Harvard Business School Faculty Summer Reader 2020
Harvard Business School faculty are both voracious book readers and frequent book authors. Here is what they are reading this summer, and what they have written over the last year. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 12 Oct 2017
- Cold Call Podcast
Telemundo: The Fastest Growing TV Network in the United States
Telemundo is the fastest-growing television network in the United States, but Chairman Cesar Conde must attract millennials to the fold. In this podcast, Henry McGee discusses Telemundo's David and Goliath rise. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 23 Feb 2017
- Cold Call Podcast
Black Business Leaders Series: Franklin Leonard, 'Black List' Mastermind
Using crowdsourcing to identify Hollywood’s hottest yet unproduced screenplays, Franklin Leonard's Black List is a coveted place to be—three films that appeared on the list are nominated for Best Picture awards this year. Professor Henry McGee, former president of HBO Home Entertainment, discusses his case study about Leonard and navigating Hollywood's film industry. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
Apple’s Dilemma: Balancing Privacy and Safety Responsibilities
In 2015, Apple debuted the iPhone 6S, which employed a default encryption system preventing both Apple and government authorities from accessing data stored on the device. Then, in 2016, a federal judge ordered Apple to provide technical assistance to unlock the iPhone used by one of the mass shooters in San Bernardino, California. Apple refused to comply. Years later, as the COVID-19 pandemic swept across the globe in 2020, Apple and Google partnered to develop a contact tracing application that would collect information about users infected with the disease and notify those who they had been in contact with. The app would keep information about infection and contact private, but some governments wanted more access. When Apple and Google declined to provide this information, they sparked a debate about the companies’ responsibilities for their customers’ personal privacy versus public health. Most recently, in September 2021, Apple decided to delay operating systems updates that included features to fight child sexual abuse. While many praised Apple, others worried that Apple’s new features risked undermining the privacy of all users. As each of these situations unfolded, Apple CEO Tim Cook had to consider both his responsibilities to global governments and society, as well as to Apple's customers, employees, and shareholders. Harvard Business School senior lecturer Henry McGee and professor Nien-hê Hsieh discuss the tension between privacy and safety through the “Apple: Privacy vs. Safety” series of cases.