CEO of Apple warns security bill will help criminals by weakening data security

The CEO of Apple has warned against giving spies a “back door” to reading people’s emails because weakening data security could help criminals.

Tim Cook said any attempt to weaken encryption could have “very dire consequences”, harming consumers by making their data less secure.

Under proposals in British Home Secretary Theresa May’s Investigatory Powers Bill, communications firms will be legally required to help spies hack into suspects’ smartphones and computers.