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Apple should have split up a long time ago, big tech is too big: Steve Wozniak
Steve Wozniak also called out on companies like Google and Facebook for not allowing competition.

We recently heard Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes advocating that the social media giant should break up after he stated that the company was becoming "too powerful". Apparently, he has been lobbying the US government to make it happen. Simultaneously, another tech giant co-founder is in favour of a split up and this time, Apple is the target.Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak recently said in an interview with Bloomberg that he is in favour of the Cupertino giant's split and he wishes that it happened a long time ago. He said, "I am against monopoly powers being used in unfair, anti-trust matters, not opening up the world to equal competition, and using your power in unfair ways. And I think this has happened a lot in big tech and that they can get away with a lot of bad things".[caption id="attachment_4423869" align="alignnone" width="1280"]
Steve Wozniak.[/caption]And for that reason, he says, "I am pretty much in favour of looking into splitting up companies... I wish Apple on its own had split up a long time ago, and spun off independent divisions in faraway places and let them think independently...""I think big tech has gone too big, it's too powerful a force in our lives and it has taken our choices away...," he added.However, he did appreciate Apple for being "best of the companies" for "caring about the customers" and "just making money out of good products not really tracking you and following you".He also went on to talk about Google and Facebook and that they need to "allow competition". He uses Facebook's instance and says that the company should give its users a choice to pay for a model that offers "almost no tracking", wherein you can export all your contacts and friends, and start afresh without your data being tracked.Wozniak also criticised big tech companies like Google, Apple and Amazon for using humans to listen to voice assistants saying it infringes on privacy. Apple recently acknowledged and apologised for listening and keeping Siri recordings without user permission.Earlier this year, four iPhone users had sued Apple alleging that the company illegally monopolises the distribution of apps for devices.
Steve Wozniak.[/caption]And for that reason, he says, "I am pretty much in favour of looking into splitting up companies... I wish Apple on its own had split up a long time ago, and spun off independent divisions in faraway places and let them think independently...""I think big tech has gone too big, it's too powerful a force in our lives and it has taken our choices away...," he added.However, he did appreciate Apple for being "best of the companies" for "caring about the customers" and "just making money out of good products not really tracking you and following you".First Published:Aug 29, 2019, 12:25:44 IST
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