Apple CEO Tim Cook teased an announcement on Wednesday, saying that everyone involved in the January 6 siege of the US Capitol “should be held accountable.”
Apple’s CEO sat down with “CBS This morning, Gayle King presented to speak about an unspecified announcement from the company on Jan. 13. During the scheduled interview, however, King Cook asked about the storming of the Capitol.
“I think it’s important that people are held accountable for it,” said Cook. “This is not something that should be skating. This is something that we have to be very serious about and understand. And then we have to move on.”
When asked if President Donald Trump should be held responsible for his part in instigating the riot, Cook did not name the president, but did say that everyone involved should be held accountable.
“I don’t think anyone is above the law. I mean, that’s a great thing about our country, and we’re a rule of law country,” Cook said. “I think everyone who participated in it should be held accountable.”
In the aftermath of the Capitol Hill attack, Apple has taken steps to remove conservative social media platform Parler from the App Store for failing to moderate content that may have incited violence.
The comments about the siege of the Capitol and President Trump were just snippets of a longer interview that “CBS This Morning “will be released Wednesday. The previously scheduled interview was arranged for a different purpose, King noted. Cook agreed to comment on the situation in Capitol Hill.
It’s not clear what the interview is about, although King said it is a major announcement from the company. She said it’s not a new product, but “something bigger and better” that is “very exciting”. Tuesday’s clip contained little evidence of the announcement, although the interview itself was conducted remotely with King at an Apple Store and Cook at Apple Park in Cupertino.
As for pending announcements, Apple has not yet introduced the App Tracking Transparency feature, which was promised in early 2021. The fact that the announcement will take place in the middle of CES 2021 is perhaps noteworthy as Apple has launched promoting its privacy policy at the annual past technical showcase.