Stewart told Khan: “I wanted to have you on a podcast, and Apple asked us not to do it.”
“They literally said, ‘Please don’t talk to her’ – having nothing to do with what you do for a living,” he added, to laughs.
Apple abruptly canceled the eight-episode third season of The Problem with Jon Stewart last October, after tension between Stewart and Apple over which topics would be featured on the show, particularly with regard to China. Stewart balked at being “hamstrung” by Apple, which threatened to cancel the series if they weren’t “aligned” on topics, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Stewart then reportedly walked away from the show rather than cede creative control. Apple did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
Joe Biden nominated Khan, who is 35 years old, for the post in part for her public criticism of big tech; while working for a House sub-committee, Khan wrote a 449-page report calling for the breakup of large tech companies, including Apple, that she compared to Gilded Age monopolies.
The US justice department, meanwhile, filed a sprawling anti-trust lawsuit against Apple last month, accusing the company of pursuing a “broad, sustained, and illegal” monopoly of the smartphone market and thwarting innovation to maintain market dominance.
Of specific note: Stewart’s podcast was on AppleTV so Apple owned it. Apple was trying to censor and silence any potential criticism of them on their platform. Which is scummy, but expected.
I think I’ve bought 2 pieces this year.