Comedian Jon Stewart has revealed that Apple once blocked his plans to interview Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan when he was still hosting a show for the tech giant’s streaming service.
The comedian detailed the incident during a Monday interview on the “The Each day Show” with Khan – a noted antitrust crusader who took over the FTC in 2021 and is seen as a significant antagonist for tech firms.
“I wanted to have you ever on a podcast and Apple asked us not to do it,” Stewart said. “They literally said ‘please don’t talk to her,’ having nothing to do with what you do for a living. I believe they simply…I didn’t think they cared for you, is what happened.”
Stewart continued, asserting that Apple also would have tried to block an earlier segment on the show about artificial intelligence.
“Like, what’s that sensitivity? Why are they so afraid to even have these conversations out in the general public sphere?” Stewart said.
“I believe it just shows one in every of the hazards of what happens if you concentrate a lot power and a lot decision-making in a small variety of corporations,” Khan replied.
Apple did not immediately return a request for comment.
Khan’s appearance took place days after the Justice Department slapped Apple with a significant antitrust lawsuit accusing the corporate of using anticompetitive tactics to make sure the iPhone’s dominance.
While the legal battle will take years, it has the potential to upend Apple’s business model.
Notably, the DOJ’s lawsuit makes direct mention of Apple’s entry into the streaming wars as some extent of concern.
“Apple’s conduct extends beyond just monopoly profits and even affects the flow of speech,” the lawsuit said. “For instance, Apple is rapidly expanding its role as a TV and movie producer and had exercised that role to control content.”
The 61-year-old comedian hosted “The Problem with Jon Stewart” on the Apple TV+ streaming service for 2 seasons.
The high-profile partnership was nixed last fall amid apparent creative differences, with Stewart quipping that Apple “didn’t want me to say things which may get me in trouble.”
Khan has not taken direct legal motion against Apple on the FTC.
Up to now, the agency has focused on other Big Tech rivals, namely Facebook parent Meta and Amazon.
Nonetheless, when Apple shut down the Beeper Mini messaging app late last 12 months, the agency published a blog warning it “will closely scrutinize any claims that competition have to be impeded to advance privacy or security.”