Jon Stewart, known for his role as the host of "The Daily Show," recently disclosed an interesting incident involving Apple during his tenure there. He mentioned that Apple discouraged him from interviewing Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chairperson Lina Khan. This revelation came to light in a new interview with Khan that aired on Comedy Central.
During the interview, Stewart claimed that Apple had urged him to avoid speaking with Khan, who assumed her position at the FTC in 2021. Stewart recounted the incident, saying, "I wanted to have you on a podcast, and Apple asked us not to do it." He added, "They literally said, 'please don’t talk to her,' having nothing to do with what you do for a living. I think they just... I didn’t think they cared for you is what happened."
Stewart had a brief stint on Apple TV from 2021 to 2023 with a show titled "The Problem With Jon Stewart," which also had an accompanying podcast. However, the partnership ended due to creative differences last fall, prompting Stewart's return to Comedy Central as a part-time host on "The Daily Show" in February.
In response to Stewart's interview, Khan expressed her gratitude on Twitter for the discussion about the FTC's efforts to reduce the cost of asthma inhalers, hold corporate executives accountable for illegal activities, and address how monopolies can abuse their power to suppress speech.
While the FTC under Khan's leadership has not directly targeted Apple, it has challenged other major tech companies, such as Amazon, Google, and Microsoft, regarding their ventures into artificial intelligence. Additionally, the U.S. Department of Justice recently filed a significant antitrust lawsuit against Apple, accusing the company of monopolizing the smartphone market.
Before her role at the FTC, while working for a House subcommittee, Khan authored a comprehensive 449-page report advocating for the breakup of large tech companies, including Apple, likening them to monopolies of the Gilded Age.