Jon Stewart says Apple asked him not to interview FTC’s Lina Khan during antitrust scrutiny: ‘Why are they so afraid?’
NY Post
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 Daily Show” with Khan – a noted antitrust crusader who took over the FTC in 2021 and is seen as a major antagonist for tech firms.
“I wanted to have you 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 think they just…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 is that sensitivity? Why are they so afraid to even have these conversations out in the public sphere?” Stewart said.
“I think it just shows one of the dangers of what happens when you concentrate so much power and so much decision-making in a small number of companies,” Khan replied.
