San Francisco, Apr 13 (IANS): Tech giant Apple's CEO Tim Cook has used his IAPP Global Privacy Summit keynote speech to discuss privacy and trust in the digital economy, including a need to stop regulations from forcing Apple to accept sideloading.

Kicking off the International Association of Privacy Professionals' annual event, the Global Privacy Summit, Cook took to the stage on Tuesday as part of its keynote address, reports AppleInsider.

His keynote started by calling privacy one of the most essential battles of modern times.

Referring to privacy as a mirror of policies and usage, Cook believed there are two disparate realities, with one where it "unlocks humanity's full creative potential," while the other is where "technology is exploited to rob humanity of that which is foundational: our privacy itself".

"A world without privacy is less imaginative, less empathetic, less innovative. Less human," said Cook to the audience, before calling privacy a fundamental human right that Apple is continually fighting for.

That fight includes protecting people against a "data industrial complex built on a foundation of surveillance," referring to data mining firms using data supplied by websites and apps.

Cook said the companies insist their work is "pure of intention," but one where they "don't believe we should have a choice in the matter".