Apple Inc.’s top executive, who dealt with privacy matters in a high-profile role, will leave soon. According to some people who know the matter, the iPhone maker executive will join a law firm.
Jane Hovarth recently informed the legal department of Apple Inc. about her taking up a job at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP in an internal memo. The executive had joined Apple Inc in 2011 and left an increasingly crucial role at Apple, according to some people who asked not to be identified as the move has not been announced officially.
Howard took the title of Chief Privacy Officer in 2021. She had worked alongside Tim Cook and was the company’s face in promoting privacy and safeguards. The tech giant has customary features such as web tracking prevention and on-device processing, along with strict app advertising policies that have often been controversial.
Apple did not respond to the request for comments and has not yet named a replacement for Hovarth.
Privacy has been the hallmark of its marketing effort of Apple. Hovarth represented the company in all its dealing with Capitol Hill and Trade groups. She was also dealing with General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the EU and was responsible for the companies’ compliance with global privacy rules.
Privileged Few
Howarth was among the few Apple people with a “chief officer” designation. The group has titles such as chief executive, Chief operating officer, Chief financial officer, and chief compliance officer. In her role, Hovarth reported to Kate Adams, the General Counsel.
Hovarth, who is trained as a lawyer, was the senior director of global privacy before taking up the current role. She became prominent during Apple’s clash with the FBI in 2016 after the company refused to unlock a suspected shooter’s iPhone. The company felt that unlocking the iPhone would create a backdoor that would undermine iPhone security. The government, anyway, unlocked the device without taking Apple’s help.
Hovarth is joining the same firm that had represented Apple on several occasions over several issues in the past. Gibson Dunn had recently appeared on behalf of Apple’s legal matters over its fight for App Store commissions against Epic games.
Before working with Apple, Hovarth looked after privacy matters at the US Department of Justice and Alphabet Inc’s Google.
