AOC says Apple must be split up after tech giant raises prices by $200: ‘They want unchecked power’
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez criticized Apple’s recent price increases on computers and tablets, attributing them to a memory chip shortage and advocating for the breakup of Big Tech.
“We need to break up a lot of these companies that are too big, and we need to implement consumer protections,” the New York Democrat told Fox News.
The increase in memory chip demand, driven by the expansion of data centers for artificial intelligence, has caused what is being referred to as “RAM-ageddon.”
Due to the chip shortage, Apple raised prices on MacBook and iPads by up to $200, with some products seeing a 15-25% price increase.
“Price increases are unfortunately unavoidable,” said outgoing Apple CEO Tim Cook.
Experts suggest that the price hikes may become the new normal for Apple, even after the chip shortage is resolved.
“The cost of laptops, computers, iPads, and electronics, in general, is likely to rise as data centers consume industrial supply,” Ocasio-Cortez noted.
“Big companies are gaining unchecked power and behaving like governments,” she added. “Antitrust measures and consumer protections are necessary.”
Ocasio-Cortez criticized Big Tech for layoffs, energy price hikes, and the threat AI poses to jobs.
When asked about legislation similar to the CHIPS Act, Ocasio-Cortez pointed out that it was not designed to address the supply demands of data centers for AI.
Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Bernie Sanders have proposed a moratorium on AI data center development.
