Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s Remarks on Apple’s Policy Shift

Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, recently took to the stage at the Stripe Sessions 2025 event, where he humorously commented on Apple’s recent reversal of its App Store policies in the United States. In response to a question posed by Stripe’s CEO, Zuckerberg quipped, “Tim’s week was not very good.” He further added, “I won’t go over it, but I love Sundar,” in a show of support for Google.

The Context of Apple’s App Store Decision

As background, Apple had previously removed Fortnite from its App Store due to a dispute with Epic Games over payment systems, a move that intensified regulatory scrutiny. Recently, Apple has been compelled to relax its routing restrictions on the App Store in the US. Thanks to this decision, platforms like Stripe, which were previously excluded from in-app purchases, are now exempt from paying commissions to Apple.

Reflections of a Historic Rivalry

Zuckerberg’s comments seem to echo the long-standing rivalry between Meta and Apple. In a past incident, Apple CEO Tim Cook had distanced himself from Zuckerberg by saying, “I would not be in such a situation,” referring to the criticism Zuckerberg faced in Congress over Facebook’s privacy issues.

Innovations on the Horizon

Beyond software policies, the competition between Meta and Apple extends to hardware innovations. Meta is gearing up to release its affordable Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses soon, while Apple is reportedly working on its own “Apple Intelligence” powered augmented reality glasses. Both tech giants are expected to unveil these products in the near future.