Columbia law professor Tim Wu, the man who coined the term “net neutrality,” says that Apple is the company that most endangers the freedom of the Internet. And he tells the “New York Times” (http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/14/one-on-one-tim-wu-author-of-the-master-switch/) that he expects that danger to outlive CEO Steve Jobs’ tenure at Apple.
When asked, “do the technology monopolies surrounding the Internet look different than the past?”, Wu had this to say:
“The question is whether there is something about the Internet that is fundamentally different, or about these times that is intrinsically more dynamic, that we don’t repeat the past. I know the Internet was designed to resist integration, designed to resist centralized control, and that design defeated firms like AOL and Time Warner. But firms today, like Apple, make it unclear if the Internet is something lasting or just another cycle.”
In fact, he says Apple is the company he fears most.
“Steve Jobs has the charisma, vision and instincts of every great information emperor,” Wu says. ” The man who helped create the personal computer 40 years ago is probably the leading candidate to help exterminate it. His vision has an undeniable appeal, but he wants too much control … I think the mark of Steve Jobs is firmly placed on that firm, that it will continue to be him long after he passes from leadership.”