Skip to main content

There’s a fake Tim Cook Instagram account and Apple VPs are following it [U]

Update: The account was fake despite being followed by Apple VPs. It has now been taken down by Instagram.

Last month, Apple Fellow Phil Schiller joined Instagram and Threads amid all the controversy surrounding Twitter (now X). And although other Apple executives are also on Instagram, there was one important name missing there: Tim Cook. But now it seems that Apple’s CEO has also joined the Meta-owned social network. Or so we thought.

There’s a new Tim Cook account on Instagram

Tim Cook has been on Twitter since 2013, but he has never joined another social network except Weibo, the popular Chinese microblogging platform. And with everything that’s been happening with Twitter since it was acquired by Elon Musk, some users were wondering if Cook would join some other platform like Mastodon or Threads.

A profile under the username @tim.d.cook was created in July 2023. The first post on August 20 celebrated World Photography Day with two photos taken with an iPhone. The second post, created on August 23, is a 30-second ad for the campaign in partnership with 3DPets that was launched last week.

On Twitter, Tim Cook is not known for publishing personal content, unlike Phil Schiller. So it seems plausible to believe that this account could be his. But it turns out that the account is a fake.

It’s fake

After we published the original story, 9to5Mac heard from people familiar with the matter that the account was not created by Tim Cook. Even so, the account is followed by some Apple VPs, such as Lisa Jackson and Alan Dye. Some other Apple employees are also following Tim Cook’s fake Instagram account.

There's a fake Tim Cook Instagram account and Apple VPs are following it

It seems that Apple is trying to take down the account, but that still doesn’t explain why these execs are following a fake Tim Cook account. It’s worth noting that Apple itself has an official Instagram account for sharing photos and videos taken with the iPhone.

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Comments

Author

Avatar for Filipe Espósito Filipe Espósito

Filipe Espósito is a Brazilian tech Journalist who started covering Apple news on iHelp BR with some exclusive scoops — including the reveal of the new Apple Watch Series 5 models in titanium and ceramic. He joined 9to5Mac to share even more tech news around the world.

Manage push notifications

notification icon
We would like to show you notifications for the latest news and updates.
notification icon
You are subscribed to notifications
notification icon
We would like to show you notifications for the latest news and updates.
notification icon
You are subscribed to notifications