Apple CEO Tim Cook expressed ambivalence about the success of a controversial Chinese company labeled a national security threat during a high-stakes appearance before Congress.
“We also know that customers have a lot of choices and that our products face fierce competition,” Cook told House lawmakers Wednesday. “Companies like Samsung, LG, Huawei, and Google have built successful businesses with different approaches. We’re OK with that. Our goal is the best, not the most.”
Cook’s opening statement largely echoed his written prepared remarks.
Federal agencies were banned last August from purchasing telecommunications products, surveillance equipment, or any other products or services from Huawei and four other Chinese companies after they were linked to the Chinese Communist Party and identified as possible platforms for data theft or Chinese government spying.
The Trump administration is working on extending the prohibition to any company doing business with Huawei, with the new regulations expected to be implemented next month.
Cook appeared virtually alongside fellow tech titan CEOs Jeff Bezos of Amazon, Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook, and Sundar Pichai of Google and Alphabet on Wednesday as part of a historic congressional hearing on online monopolies and misinformation.
Their testimony marks the pinnacle of a yearlong investigation by a House Judiciary subcommittee into antitrust practices before the panel recommends a series of reforms.
