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Steve Wozniak wishes Apple split up 'a long time ago'

The Apple co-founder adds his voice to the call to break up big tech companies.

Corinne Reichert Senior Editor
Corinne Reichert (she/her) grew up in Sydney, Australia and moved to California in 2019. She holds degrees in law and communications, and currently writes news, analysis and features for CNET across the topics of electric vehicles, broadband networks, mobile devices, big tech, artificial intelligence, home technology and entertainment. In her spare time, she watches soccer games and F1 races, and goes to Disneyland as often as possible.
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Corinne Reichert
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Big tech companies could use their power in one market to subsume another, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak says.

Angela Lang/CNET

Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak said he's in favor of breaking up big tech companies, including Apple, Facebook and Google . These tech companies are using their power in one market to subsume other markets, he told Bloomberg Wednesday.

"I am really against monopoly powers being used in unfair antitrust manners ... and I think that's happened a lot in big tech and that they can get away with a lot of bad things," he said. "I'm pretty much in favor of looking into splitting up companies, I mean I wish Apple on its own had split up a long time ago and spun off independent divisions."

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His comments come as US tech giants face multiple antitrust investigations and increasing calls to break up big tech companies, including from Democratic presidential candidates Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders.

Wozniak also criticized tech companies for using humans to listen to voice assistants, pointing to Amazon's Alexa and Apple's Siri , saying it infringes on privacy. Microsoft, Apple, Google and Amazon have all been called out for doing so. 

In addition, the Apple co-founder detailed his work across four startups at the moment, including a blockchain company working in Malta.

"I like startups," he said. "Young companies with an idea, trying to make something out of it, you know much more than the big, huge tech companies."