Mark Zuckerberg Criticizes Apple’s App Store Loss, Claims ‘Tim’s Had A Bad Week,’ Celebrates Google CEO Sundar Pichai with ‘I Like Sundar’ Comment

Apple and Epic Games have a storied history that has been marred by significant disputes, leading to Epic’s blockbuster title, Fortnite, being removed from the App Store. In light of Apple’s ongoing tussles with regulatory authorities in the United States, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has provided his insights on the evolving dynamics. During his appearance at Stripe Sessions 2025, Zuckerberg positioned Apple as a rival while heaping praise on Google, suggesting that Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, is facing a tough week.

Meta’s CEO Discusses Apple’s Legal Challenges and Praises Google’s Leadership

In a recent session led by Stripe’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg articulated his views regarding Apple’s current standing after a court decision aimed at loosening App Store regulations.“Tim’s had a bad week, ” Zuckerberg remarked, adding, “I’m not gonna pile on, but I like Sundar.” It’s noteworthy that both Apple and Google maintain stringent policies for their App Stores; however, Zuckerberg’s comments seem to revolve more around the nature of their respective conduct rather than the foundational principles at stake. Moreover, Epic and Google are embroiled in their own anti-steering disputes, complicating their relationship even further.

Historically, Tim Cook has not held back on his critiques of Zuckerberg, particularly during privacy hearings in Congress concerning Facebook. When confronted with how he could address criticisms, Cook retorted, “I wouldn’t be in this situation.”Stripe’s model circumvents Apple’s commission fees by promoting out-of-app purchases, a tactic the company encourages among developers to enhance their profit margins.

The rivalry doesn’t end there. Both Meta and Apple have deep, intertwined histories, with Apple also venturing into the smart glasses market, paralleling Meta’s initiatives. Meta is gearing up to release its Meta Ray-Bans, anticipated to be an affordable entry point to popularize such technology. Conversely, Apple is equally committed to unveiling its own smart glasses, aiming to compete head-to-head with Meta.

Despite ongoing development, Apple’s augmented reality (AR) glasses will require additional time and investment to perfect, targeting a launch in the coming years. Furthermore, Apple plans to introduce its Vision Air headset as early as late this year, priced more competitively than the Vision Pro, in hopes of elevating consumer interest and driving mainstream AR adoption. The exchanges between Zuckerberg and Cook reflect a long-standing animosity between these tech giants, and further updates on their rivalry are anticipated as new developments unfold.

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