Jane Horvath, who joined Apple for the first time in 2011, is moving on to Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, according to the people, who declined to be named because the change hasn’t been made public. In a recent internal memo, Horvath disclosed her plans to Apple’s legal team.
She leaves a position that has grown more crucial to Apple’s strategy. Alongside Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook, Horvath, who assumed the position of chief privacy officer last year, represented the corporation in promoting its security measures. The tech giant has bragged about features like on-device processing and web-tracking protection, as well as tougher, but divisive, app advertising regulations.
Apple has not commented or named a replacement.
Apple’s marketing strategies now place a strong emphasis on privacy, and Horvath acted as the company’s advocate when interacting with trade associations and lawmakers. She was also in charge of ensuring that Apple followed privacy laws all across the world, including the GDPR, or General Data Protection Regulation, in the European Union.
A select group of Apple officials, including the chief operating officer, chief compliance officer, and chief financial officer, included Horvath as one of their “chief officers.” She answered Apple General Counsel Kate Adams in her capacity.
Horvath, a lawyer by training, held the position of senior director of worldwide privacy at Apple before assuming her current position. After the firm and FBI disagreed in 2016 over whether to unlock a shooting suspect’s iPhone, she gained notoriety within the organisation. Apple objected, claiming that doing so would open a backdoor and compromise the security of the iPhone. The device was ultimately unlocked by the government without the assistance of the manufacturer.
Horvath is joining a legal team that has already defended Apple on various occasions over several years. Gibson Dunn most recently led Apple’s legal efforts in its fight against Epic Games Inc. over App Store commissions.
Before Apple, Horvath supervised the US Department of Justice and Google’s privacy initiatives.
