Apparently Apple’s CEO would like to disclose just what data Apple has shared with the American government, but can’t due to the gag order.

Apple and other companies have received a lot of criticism over sharing data with the NSA, and Tim Cook feels that if the gag order was lifted and they could explain Apple’s involvement it “would help put everything in perspective.”

“We need to say what data is being given, how many people it affects, how many accounts are affected,” said Cook in an interview with ABC News. “We need to be clear and we have a gag order on us right now, and so we can’t say those things.”

While he can’t go into specifics, obviously, Cook has assured people that some of the rumors going around aren’t true. “Much of what has been said isn’t true,” he  said. “There is no back door. The government doesn’t have access to our servers. They would have to cart us out in a box for that — and that just will not happen. We feel that strongly about it.”

[via VentureBeat, ABC News, image via igrec’s flickr]