Tim Cook on antitrust investigations: 'There is no monopoly here'

Tim Cook
Tim Cook (Image credit: Apple)

What you need to know

  • Tim Cook gave an interview to The Atlantic Festival.
  • He spoke at length about antitrust issues, climate change, and more.
  • On antitrust investigations, he stated "there is no monopoly here."

Tim Cook has told The Atlantic Festival that big companies deserve scrutiny and that he has no issue with Apple being investigated for antitrust issues stating, "there is no monopoly here."

In an interview for the festival Cook stated that he had "no issue" with Apple's being put under investigation, but fervently stated that he believed that once lawmakers heard Apple's story, they would see that the company did not have a monopoly. As transcribed by MacRumors:

I think that big companies deserve scrutiny. And I think that's not only fair but important for the system that we have in America. And so I have no issue at all in Apple being put underneath the microscope and people looking and probing. My hope is that as people heard our story and as they continue to hear our story that it will become as apparent to them as it is to us that we have no monopoly. There is no monopoly here.

Cook stated that the markets Apple operates in for smartwatches, tablets, and computers were "fiercely competitive", describing them as "basically street fights for market share."

On his relationship with Donald Trump, whilst Cook stated that the conversations he had with the President were private, he did say that "it's much better to be involved" and to engage with issues, especially when people disagree on something.

On office work, Cook said he couldn't wait for Apple's employees to return to their offices and that Apple Park was specifically designed to cultivate collaboration and ideas. He said that around 10-15% of Apple's employees were currently in the office.

You can catch Cook at the 15-minute mark below for his thoughts on all of this, climate change, and California's wildfires, as well as the global response to COVID-19.

Stephen Warwick
News Editor

Stephen Warwick has written about Apple for five years at iMore and previously elsewhere. He covers all of iMore's latest breaking news regarding all of Apple's products and services, both hardware and software. Stephen has interviewed industry experts in a range of fields including finance, litigation, security, and more. He also specializes in curating and reviewing audio hardware and has experience beyond journalism in sound engineering, production, and design.

Before becoming a writer Stephen studied Ancient History at University and also worked at Apple for more than two years. Stephen is also a host on the iMore show, a weekly podcast recorded live that discusses the latest in breaking Apple news, as well as featuring fun trivia about all things Apple. Follow him on Twitter @stephenwarwick9