In a new interview, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak said that the company should have “split up a long time ago.”
Wozniak praised Apple during a Tuesday interview with Bloomberg TV, but also criticized Big Tech as a whole, arguing that it’s become too big.
“I am against monopoly powers being used in unfair antitrust manners…and I think that’s happened a lot in Big Tech and that they get away with a lot of bad things,” he told Bloomberg.
Wozniak did say that he thinks Apple is one of the better of the Big Tech companies and that he believes they care more about their customers, but added that Apple should have “spun off to independent divisions, to far away places, and let them think independently.”
We reached out to Apple to comment on Wozniak’s comment about splitting the company up, but we haven’t received a response.
Wozniak added that he’s in favor for more competition, especially when it comes to companies like Google and Facebook. He is one of the four founders of the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), a nonprofit digital rights group that defends digital privacy, free speech, and innovation. The EFF supports a broader version of antitrust laws for Big Tech.
“Everywhere I go people love technology and the aspects of it, but then they always find things to grieve about,” he said.
Wozniak also spoke about tech addiction and obsession, and how Apple has played a part in it.
“Steve Jobs and I started this company trying to make blind and sighted people more equal and we succeeded because everywhere you go, look on the sidewalk and there’s people walking along not seeing anything except their phone,” he said.
Despite his thoughts on Big Tech, Wozniak didn’t hesitate to praise Apple and its products, saying that he’s “very proud of Apple as a company.”
Wozniak told Bloomberg that the company has always been a leader in the industry, whether it’s with touch identification, Apple Pay, or the new Apple Card.
“The Apple Card is the most beautiful card I’ve ever had in my life and I don’t even judge beauty that much,” he said.
He also added that he can’t get enough of his Apple Watch, saying, “it’s my favorite piece of technology in the world right now.”
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