Former President Donald Trump claims that Apple CEO Tim Cook recently reached out to him regarding fines imposed on Apple by the European Union. Trump disclosed this information during his appearance on the PBD Podcast, stating that the call occurred just hours before the interview.
This comes weeks after Trump asked Apple to unlock the iPhones of people who attacked him.
According to Trump, Cook reported two major fines:
- A $15 billion fine
- An additional $2 billion fine:
- In March, the EU fined Apple approximately $2 billion for anticompetitive practices related to music streaming apps.
- The EU also won a case requiring Apple to pay $14.4 billion in unpaid taxes to Ireland.
Trump alleges that Cook described Europe as Apple’s “enterprise,” implying that the EU is using these fines to fund its operations. In response, Trump claims to have told Cook,
“That’s a lot… But Tim, I got to get elected first, but I’m not going to let them take advantage of our companies — that won’t, you know, be happening”.
As of now, Apple has not confirmed this conversation.
The EU is taking action against Apple and other large tech companies to promote fair competition in the digital marketplace and enforce antitrust laws.
More here.