Apple CEO Cook to make a ‘big announcement’ Wed., calls for accountability over storming of Capitol Building

Apple removed the social media app “Parler” from its App Store over the weekend. Apple CEO Tim Cook says the platform violated Apple’s terms of service by not adequately monitoring posts that incite violence. CBS This Morning co-host Gayle King spoke with Cook about the storming of Capitol Building on January 6, 2021 and asked him what he thinks needs to happen next. She also teased a “big announcement” coming Wednesday morning from Apple.

CBS News:

Cook: I think it’s key that people be held accountable for it. This is not something that should skate. This is something that we’ve got to be very serious about and understand and then we need to move forward.

King: Do you think the president, President Trump, should be held accountable for it?

Cook: I think no one is above the law. I mean that’s a great thing about our country. And we’re a rule of law country. I think that everyone that had a part in it needs to be held accountable.

King: We’re all told as little kids, “There are consequences to your actions,” but I don’t know how we just let this go.

Cook: I would agree. I don’t think we should let it go. Holding people accountable is important.

King: And you can see more of our exclusive interview with Tim Cook on CBS This Morning. He didn’t sit and say, “I want to talk to CBS about this.” This was an interview that was scheduled because they have a big announcement that they want to announce tomorrow. It’s not a new product, we should say it is not a new product. It’s something, I think, bigger and better than that so… he agreed to answer other questions but that wasn’t the purpose of the interview. It’s very exciting… what we’re going to tell you tomorrow is very exciting.

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#EXCLUSIVE: @GayleKing spoke with @Apple CEO Tim Cook about the assault on the Capitol and what he thinks needs to happen next.

See more of @tim_cook's interview Wednesday on @CBSThisMorning when he'll announce a major new initiative, that's not a new product. pic.twitter.com/QPYyoDVFv7

— CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) January 12, 2021

MacDailyNews Take: First off: Would that King’s and Cook’s words of concern applied uniformly to every act of public violence, looting, vandalism, arson, and murder and that every app, platform, and service that failed to stop or facilitated such fomenting were held accountable and received the same treatment under an equal standard.

Apply the standard equally or you risk undermining your legitimacy, making your actions look capricious and ill-considered.

Anyone who commits violence against another, loots, vandalizes, and/or commits arson or murder should be held accountable under the law.

It’s simple: Apply “liberty and justice for all.”

Again, as we’ve consistently said, Apple’s stated reasoning for pulling Parler is fine, if applied uniformly.

Yet, Twitter, Facebook, etc. remain available on Apple’s App Store.

Anyone who claims that Twitter and/or Facebook have robust content moderation in place that effectively removes harmful or dangerous content that encourages violence and illegal activity is either ignorant or lying.

Now, what is this “big announcement” coming Wednesday morning from Apple that’s “not a new product,” but is something that King thinks is “bigger and better” and “very exciting?”