Airs on “Nightly News” Tonight
NOV. 1, 2017 – Apple CEO Tim Cook sat down with “NBC Nightly News” anchor Lester Holt on Wednesday in Cupertino, Calif. for an exclusive interview on the future of privacy and the release of the highly-anticipated iPhone X.
Asked by Holt if he thinks social media companies have been late to acknowledge how they were used to influence the election, Cook stated: “The bigger issue is that some of these tools are used to divide people, to manipulate people, to get fake news to people in broad numbers, and so to influence their thinking. And this, to me, is the number one through ten issue.” Watch the exchange.
Tune in to “NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt” tonight and “TODAY” on Thursday to watch the exclusive interview. More of the interview will be available on NBC News digital platforms.
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LESTER HOLT: Do you think that social media companies have been a little late to acknowledge how they were used by those trying to influence the election, Russians?
TIM COOK: I think they learned along the way a lot. And you know, I think it’s best to ask them if they should have projected it or not. I don’t know. What I do believe, though, is I don’t believe that the big issue are ads from foreign governments. I believe that’s like .1% of the issue. The bigger issue is that some of these tools are used to divide people, to manipulate people, to get fake news to people in broad numbers, and so to influence their thinking. And this, to me, is the number one through ten issue.
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