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Tim Cook Says Apple 'Should be Scrutinized' But Disputes Claims Company is a Monopoly

Tuesday June 4, 2019 5:51 pm PDT by Tim Hardwick
Apple CEO Tim Cook believes that when it comes to big business, scrutiny is a good thing, but he has denied claims that Apple is a monopoly.


In an extended interview with CBS News, Cook said that because of Apple's size he thought it was "fair" to scrutinize its business practices, but the CEO pushed back hard against claims that the company had a dominant position in any market.

Apple has recently become the target of regulator inquiries and class action lawsuits that have variously questioned its business practices. In the United States, for example, the Supreme Court recently ruled that a class action accusing Apple of operating an App Store monopoly can proceed to trial in a lower court.

Asked about Elizabeth Warren's presidential campaign and her position that Apple should break up its App Store and other parts of its business, Cook said:
I strongly disagree with that. I think some people would argue, if you are selling a good, then you can't have a product that competes with that good. And I-- I think that's part of what is being argued there. But that-- that's an argument that takes you down the path that, Walmart shouldn't be stocking alternative or house brand. And so this is decades of-- of-- U.S. law here. But I think scrutiny is good, and we'll tell our story to anybody that we need to or that-- that wants to hear it. I-- I feel very confident in-- in our position.
Cook went on to underline the company's user-centric position and claimed that when it comes to privacy and fake news, "we're on the user's side," which is why it curates content on its stores and services.

Asked whether he thought Facebook is an amplifier for fake news, Cook said that he worried about any platform that delivered news in a feed and relied on algorithms to differentiate genuine journalism from fake news.
I don't really believe personally that A.I. has the power today to differentiate between what is fake and what is not. And so I worry about any property that today pushes news in a feed. What we do with Apple News product is we pick top stories, we have people doing it. And so I do worry about people thinking like machines. Not machines thinking like people.
Cook's extended interview covered several other topics, including the potential impact of Chinese tariffs on Apple, his relationship with President Trump, and current U.S. administration polices. You can watch the full interview above and read the full transcript here.

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Tag: Tim Cook
[ 215 comments ]


Top Rated Comments

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netdoc66
11 weeks ago
Tim Cook was the worst choice ever. Apple has failed to innovate since the passing of Steve Jobs.
Rating: 48 Votes
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coolbreeze2
11 weeks ago
Apple is far from being a monopoly.
Rating: 36 Votes
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turbineseaplane
11 weeks ago
I am so ready for the post Tim Cook era
Rating: 35 Votes
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Naraxus
11 weeks ago
"What we do with Apple News product is we pick top stories, we have people doing it. And so I do worry about people thinking like machines. Not machines thinking like people."

And this is one reason I will never use/watch/consume anything from Apple News. Apple's political leanings aside, I prefer to pick my top news and not have some other entity do it for me.
Rating: 28 Votes
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mrtune
11 weeks ago

Saying Walmart shouldn't sell goods is just avoiding the question.

There is nothing stopping people from shopping at Target or any other store. Walmart doesn't take a 30% cut either.

You know there is a problem when Walmart treats their suppliers better than you.



There's also nothing stopping people from buying an android device and using the google play store to download apps.
Rating: 18 Votes
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macfacts
11 weeks ago

To help the debate on whether or not Apple has a monopoly or acts in a monopolistic fashion, here's the definition from the FTC:

https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/competition-guidance/guide-antitrust-laws/single-firm-conduct/monopolization-defined

Btw, I believe currently has 39% market share in the USA.


And apple has 100% of the current iOS app stores market. No other company runs an iOS app store.
Rating: 17 Votes
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AgentAnonymous
11 weeks ago
Tim Cook: *cures cancer*

Conservatives at Mac Rumors: Waaaaaaaaaaah!!!
Rating: 15 Votes
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DrJohnnyN
11 weeks ago
Tim for president.
Rating: 14 Votes
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az431
11 weeks ago

To help the debate on whether or not Apple has a monopoly or acts in a monopolistic fashion, here's the definition from the FTC:

https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/competition-guidance/guide-antitrust-laws/single-firm-conduct/monopolization-defined

Btw, I believe currently has 39% market share in the USA.


Given your focus on the percentage, it doesn’t sound like you really read much of that.
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And apple has 100% of the current iOS app stores market. No other company runs an iOS app store.


Home Depot has 100% of the lumber market in their lumber aisle. No other company can sell lumber in that aisle.
Rating: 14 Votes
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TSE
11 weeks ago

Tim Cook was the worst choice ever. Apple has failed to innovate since the passing of Steve Jobs.


Industry expert netdoc66 has spoken! He is right! Let's ignore the sales numbers! Let's ignore the customer satisfaction surveys! Let's ignore the cold, hard facts because netdoc66 has spoken! Tim Cook is destroying Apple!
Rating: 14 Votes

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