Apple under fire over cancellation of Jon Stewart show amid China concerns – By Reuters (The Guardian) / Nov 15. 2023
US lawmakers write to Apple CEO Tim Cook over worries that ‘coercive tactics of a foreign power’ led to political TV show’s end
US lawmakers asked Apple Inc to explain the abrupt end of the political comedian Jon Stewart’s television show on its streaming service, according to a letter made public on Wednesday, citing concerns that content related to China was behind the cancellation.
The New York Times reported last month that Stewart’s show on Apple’s streaming service was ending, the result of creative differences. The newspaper said Stewart told members of his staff that potential show topics related to China and artificial intelligence were causing concern to Apple executives.
Apple declined comment to the Times.
“While companies have the right to determine what content is appropriate for their streaming service, the coercive tactics of a foreign power should not be directly or indirectly influencing these determinations,” the Republican and Democratic leaders of the House of Representatives’ select committee on competition with the Chinese Communist party said in the letter to Apple’s chief executive, Tim Cook.
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