AP
In September 2014, Cook gave an in-depth interview with Charlie Rose that touched on a range of topics, including privacy.
During the interview — which took place in the weeks following the infamous leaks of multiple female celebrities' nude photos stored on their iCloud accounts — Cook espoused Apple's commitment to privacy while denouncing the business models of companies like Google and Facebook.
"I think everyone has to ask, how do companies make their money? Follow the money," Cook said. "And if they're making money mainly by collecting gobs of personal data, I think you have a right to be worried. And you should really understand what's happening to that data."
Shortly after, Cook reiterated his stance in an open letter on Apple's dedicated privacy site.
"A few years ago, users of Internet services began to realize that when an online service is free, you're not the customer. You're the product," Cook wrote.