• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechFortune 500

Elizabeth Warren Says Apple and Google ‘Snuff Out Competition’

By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
Down Arrow Button Icon
June 30, 2016, 12:32 PM ET
Elizabeth Warren Campaigns With Hillary Clinton In Cincinnati
John Sommers II—Getty Images

Some of the technology industry’s biggest companies won’t find a friend in Elizabeth Warren.

The Democratic senator from Massachusetts on Thursday took aim at Apple (AAPL), Google (GOOGL), and Amazon (AMZN), saying that they “snuff out competition” and ultimately hurt a smaller company’s ability to compete in the technology industry.

“Google, Apple, and Amazon provide platforms that lots of other companies depend on for survival,” Warren said in a speech in Washington, D.C. “But Google, Apple, and Amazon also, in many cases, compete with those same small companies, so that the platform can become a tool to snuff out competition.”

Warren went on to describe several examples of the companies allegedly engaging in such behavior. She pointed to a 2012 Federal Trade Commission (FTC) investigation into Google abusing its search dominance to hurt smaller companies, as well as the Alphabet subsidiary’s similar troubles in the European Union. On Apple, Warren pointed to the company’s streaming-music service Apple Music, saying that the company has made it “difficult” for competing services, like Spotify, to compete with Apple Music. She also seemed to side with allegations from “thousands of authors” that Amazon tries to “steer consumers to books published by Amazon to the detriment of other publishers.”

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter

Google declined comment and the other companies did not immediately respond to a request for comment. But Spotify, which is one of the companies competing with Apple Music that Warren might have been referring to, wasn’t shy about her comments. In a statement to Recode, Jonathan Prince, the company’s head of communications and public policy sided with Warren.

“Apple has long used its control of iOS to squash competition in music, driving up the prices of its competitors, inappropriately forbidding us from telling our customers about lower prices, and giving itself unfair advantages across its platform through everything from the lock screen to Siri,” Prince said. “You know there’s something wrong when Apple makes more off a Spotify subscription than it does off an Apple Music subscription and doesn’t share any of that with the music industry. They want to have their cake and eat everyone else’s too.”

Warren’s comments carry significant weight. Earlier this week, the Massachusetts senator was on the campaign trail in support of presumptive Democratic Presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. Many on the left had previously hoped Warren, who has taken aim at a wide range of issues, including inequality, violence, and major companies, would run for President. She’s become one of the more popular Democratic senators in the country. And now, many are hoping Clinton will choose Warren to be her running mate in the fall.

Although tech companies were a concern for Warren, they weren’t the only focus. Her talk at the New America’s Open Markets Program Event centered on the need for more competition in the U.S. marketplace and failure among regulators to protect smaller companies across several industries, including the financial sector, pharmaceuticals, and others.

For more on Apple, watch:

That said, while Warren’s tone was decidedly negative towards big companies, she acknowledged that they play an important part in the world. She even said the big tech companies she’s concerned about deserve their success. Ultimately, though, she wants to others get a shot at achieving the same success—something, she argues, they might not have.

“Google, Apple, and Amazon have created disruptive technologies that changed the world, and every day they deliver enormously valuable products,” Warren said. “They deserve to be highly profitable and successful. But the opportunity to compete must remain open for new entrants and competitors that want their chance to change the world again.”

About the Author
By Don Reisinger
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

The billionaire Anthropic cofounder who majored in literature says knowing how to ask the right questions beats knowing how to code
SuccessTech
The billionaire Anthropic cofounder who majored in literature says knowing how to ask the right questions beats knowing how to code
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezApril 14, 2026
6 hours ago
TOKYO, JAPAN - FEBRUARY 3: Open AI CEO Sam Altman speaks during a talk session with SoftBank Group CEO Masayoshi Son at an event titled "Transforming Business through AI" in Tokyo, Japan, on February 03, 2025. SoftBank and OpenAI announced that they have agreed a partnership to set up a joint venture for artificial intelligence services in Japan today. (Photo by Tomohiro Oh
CybersecuritySam Altman
From Molotov cocktails to data center shutdowns, the AI backlash is turning revolutionary
By Eva RoytburgApril 14, 2026
7 hours ago
Dow COO Karen Carter wearing a white lab coat and sitting while smiling
C-SuiteNext to Lead
Dow’s CEO pick elevates a seasoned insider at a pivotal moment for the chemical giant
By Ruth UmohApril 14, 2026
9 hours ago
Anthropic’s Mythos reveals a growing security gap: AI finds flaws far faster than companies can patch them
AIEye on AI
Anthropic’s Mythos reveals a growing security gap: AI finds flaws far faster than companies can patch them
By Sharon GoldmanApril 14, 2026
9 hours ago
Sam Altman’s attacker had a kill list of AI executives. Experts warn this is just the beginning
AIchief executive officer (CEO)
Sam Altman’s attacker had a kill list of AI executives. Experts warn this is just the beginning
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezApril 14, 2026
11 hours ago
Nava founders Brianna Montgomery and Vyas Krishnan pose for a photo
CryptoCryptocurrency
Nava raises $8.3 million in seed funding to keep AI financial agents from going off the rails
By Jack KubinecApril 14, 2026
13 hours ago

Most Popular

Billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott has donated again—a week after gifting millions to a college, she's just given $70 million to Meals on Wheels America
Success
Billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott has donated again—a week after gifting millions to a college, she's just given $70 million to Meals on Wheels America
By Fortune EditorsApril 13, 2026
1 day ago
Retirees are facing a $345,000 bill they never saw coming — and most aren't prepared
Commentary
Retirees are facing a $345,000 bill they never saw coming — and most aren't prepared
By Fortune EditorsApril 14, 2026
17 hours ago
He was coding at 12 like Elon Musk and became one of Google’s youngest-ever CMOs—but now says Gen Z is better off ice skating than learning to code
Success
He was coding at 12 like Elon Musk and became one of Google’s youngest-ever CMOs—but now says Gen Z is better off ice skating than learning to code
By Fortune EditorsApril 14, 2026
20 hours ago
Current price of gold as of April 13, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of gold as of April 13, 2026
By Fortune EditorsApril 13, 2026
2 days ago
Anthropic is facing a wave of user backlash over reports of performance issues with its Claude AI chatbot
AI
Anthropic is facing a wave of user backlash over reports of performance issues with its Claude AI chatbot
By Fortune EditorsApril 14, 2026
18 hours ago
New drones are giving Ukraine a battlefield advantage and ravaging Russia’s oil industry
Innovation
New drones are giving Ukraine a battlefield advantage and ravaging Russia’s oil industry
By Fortune EditorsApril 13, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.