Apple preaches privacy. Lawmakers want the talk to turn to action.

When Apple CEO Tim Cook privately hosted six Democratic lawmakers at the company’s space-age headquarters spring 2019, he opened the conversation with a plea — for Congress to finally draft privacy legislation after years of federal inaction. But a number of privacy advocates and lawmakers say Apple has not put enough muscle behind any federal effort to tighten privacy laws. And state lawmakers, who are closest to passing rules to limit data sharing, say Apple is an ally in name only — and in fact has contributed to lobbying efforts that might undermine some new data-protection legislation. While Apple formally supports the notion of a federal privacy law, the company has yet to formally back any bills proposed on the Hill — unlike Microsoft. And in CA, WA, and IL, home to the most significant state privacy bills, the company has sought to battle back or soften local legislators’ proposed bills, often through its trade associations.