Apple is about to lose one of its most important executives. According to a new Bloomberg report, the company’s privacy chief Jane Horvath has decided to leave Apple to take a new job at a law firm. However, the decision hasn’t yet been publicly confirmed by Apple.
With a degree in computer science, Hovarth began her career as a programmer for a government contractor long before joining Apple in 2011. Since then, the executive has become increasingly important to the company as privacy has become one of Apple’s primary concerns.
As noted by the report, Jane Horvath is one of the few Apple executives to carry the title of “chief officer.” She represented the company during a dispute between the FBI, which asked Apple to unlock an iPhone related to the San Bernardino shooting.
In addition, the executive also worked directly in negotiations with trade groups and Capitol Hill. She was also responsible for ensuring that Apple is compliant with global privacy rules, such as the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Horvath was the person at Apple who always gave interviews related to privacy and security.
In recent years, she has also been involved with Apple’s new privacy policies to restrict web and in-app tracking on iOS and macOS.
Bloomberg has heard from sources that Horvath informed Apple’s legal department about her departure in an internal memo. However, the company hasn’t yet decided who will replace her. Horvath has taken a job at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, a law firm that has represented Apple in several cases – including the fight against Epic Games.
