Social media platforms welcome everyone. They're free to use, and can be beneficial for both business and personal.
And Instagram is one of the most popular platforms of them all.
A number of tech executives use Instagram extensively, while others just register themselves. Apple Fellow Phil Schiller, for example, joined Instagram amid all the controversy surrounding Twitter-turned X controversy. Some other Apple executives are also there on Instagram.
But among them all, one important name is missing: CEO Tim Cook.
And this time, the executive finally joined the Meta-owned network.
At least, that is what most people have thought.
Tim Cook has been on Twitter since 2013, but he has never joined another social network except Weibo, the popular Chinese microblogging platform. Amid Twitter's transition to X, following its acquisition by Elon Musk, people were wondering whether Cook would join some other platforms beside X, like Mastodon, for example.
But when the username @tim.d.cook was created in July 2023, it was thought that the CEO has finally chose a social platform to be into.
It was so convincing, because it's first post was made on August 20, to celebrate 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, which is responsible for 3D printing full-limb prosthetics as well as custom carts that help mobilize animals affected by missing legs. It uses uses LiDAR and the TrueDepth Camera on the iPhone to help build prosthetic limbs for dogs.
3DPets is the subject of the YouTuber's MKBHD video as well as Apple’s iPhone 14 Pro advertisement.
Posting the 30-second ad surely sounds like something that the real Tim Cook
At first, @tim.d.cook account on Instagram appeared to be credible at first glance, especially given the recent controversies surrounding Twitter’s transformation into X.
The account didn't receive too much attention, despite having Tim Cook’s photo as the display picture, and the description read, “Apple CEO.”
But after having some Apple executives following him, including Lisa Jackson and Alan Dye, it gave rise to the speculation that the account could be real.
Many more people started following it.
It was so convincing, that so many many people have unwittingly fallen prey to a cleverly disguised fake Tim Cook account.
Because Apple didn't make any formal announcement or explanation, nor did Cook himself, reports confirmed that Cook had no association with the account, citing sources familiar with the matter.
For all his life, both personal and professional, Cook is known for his reserved self. He rarely engage in any personal content sharing to anyone, let alone to the public on social platforms.
While Cook has a history of having social media accounts, he is not known for being active.
So here, despite being followed by some Apple executives, the account was dubious that sooner than later, Instagram suspended the account, and made it inaccessible.
