Eric Schmidt insists your data is much safer with Google than with Apple

Thinks Tim Cook wasn't briefed properly on Google's policies.

Thinks Tim Cook wasn’t briefed properly on Google’s policies.

Eric Schmidt has hit back at Tim Cook’s recent jibes at Google, claiming that “someone didn’t brief him correctly on Google’s policies.”

Schmidt was speaking as part of a CNN Money interview to promote his new book How Google Works. The Tim Cook comments in question concern Apple’s focus on keeping user data private.

During his recent two-part interview with Charlie Rose, Cook said that, “I think everyone has to ask, ‘How do companies make their money?’ Follow the money. And if they’re making money mainly by collecting gobs of personal data, I think you have a right to be worried and you should really understand what’s happening with that data.”

“In Google’s case we have always been the leader in security and encryption,” Schmidt told CNN Money. “Our systems are far more secure and encrypted than anyone else —including Apple. They’re catching up, which is great.”

Other than acknowledging the fact that Google does show personalized ads based on your emails, he continued that “all the other things [Tim Cook] implied we’re doing, we don’t do.”

This isn’t the first time Schmidt has taken a shot at Apple as part of his book tour. In a recent interview with Bloomberg TV, Schmidt answered questions about the iPhone 6’s success by saying that, “Samsung had these products a year ago.”

Eric Schmidt also addressed Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, who recently alleged that Google’s business model was fundamentally the same as the NSA.

“Julian needs to do a bit more research from the safety of the embassy,” Schmidt told CNN Money.

He pointed out that the NSA does not collaborate with Google “in any way” and described the two entities as having never “talked.”

The remainder of the interview describes Google’s mission statement, its dedication to diversifying its workforce, and its corporate culture.

The short interview can be viewed below: