Mark Zuckerberg Criticizes Apple For Stagnation, Highlighting Years-Long Rivalry With Tim Cook

Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta Platforms Inc., openly criticized Apple Inc. during a recent appearance on the Joe Rogan podcast. His comments have further heightened the ongoing rivalry between these two major technology companies.

During the podcast, Zuckerberg remarked, "Steve Jobs invented the iPhone, and now they’re just kind of sitting on it, 20 years later." He expressed his belief that Apple has not introduced any significant innovations recently. Additionally, he stated that without Apple’s restrictive rules and its 30% commission on App Store sales, Meta’s profits could potentially double.

This criticism comes at a time when Apple is under increasing scrutiny regarding its App Store policies. The U.S. Department of Justice is actively pursuing antitrust actions against Apple, while regulations from the European Union are compelling the company to alter its business practices.

The rivalry between Meta and Apple has deep roots, stretching back to 2014 when Apple CEO Tim Cook first voiced his concerns about Facebook's data collection methods. The situation escalated following the 2018 Cambridge Analytica scandal, during which Cook criticized Facebook on a public platform, stating he "wouldn’t be in this situation" concerning Facebook’s privacy challenges.

In 2021, tensions intensified when Apple rolled out new privacy features that required apps to obtain user consent for tracking. This change significantly impacted Meta’s advertising revenue, prompting Zuckerberg to allegedly suggest that Facebook should “inflict pain” on Apple as a retaliatory measure, as reported by the New York Times.

More recently, during Meta’s first-quarter 2023 earnings call, Zuckerberg questioned the market appeal of Apple’s Vision Pro headset, claiming consumers might prefer “fashionable AI glasses without a display” instead.

This ongoing conflict between the companies highlights the fundamental differences in their business strategies: Meta relies heavily on an advertising-based model that utilizes user data, while Apple prioritizes a hardware-centered approach that emphasizes user privacy. Investors have seen fluctuations in their stocks, with Meta's shares rising while Apple's have dipped slightly, showcasing the competition and market dynamics at play.

Zuckerberg, Apple, Meta