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SEC Correct To Investigate Apple, Jobs

If you've been following Kara Swisher's coverage of the Steve Jobs saga, you know the noted tech industry blogger is far from impressed with the media's "creepy obsession" with the Apple CEO's health.

Therefore, it's surprising to hear Swisher applaud the SEC for looking into the company's disclosures about the matter to ensure that investors weren't misled. At the very least, she says, the federal agency can set the record--which has been grossly distorted by the media--straight: "if the press and blogosphere and Apple aren't going to do it, I vote for the one with subpoena power to sort it all out and make some level-headed determinations about the rules of the road."

New ground will likely be broken with this investigation, Swisher adds. "What will be most interesting is exactly how much companies do have to reveal about the health of their leadership and whether the relative fame and brand-critical nature of that exec matters more." Should someone like a Jobs or a Martha Stewart have to be more forthcoming about their health than a less known CEO with a similar problem? If so, how much does he or she need to disclose, how specific does the company have to be, and how often does the public need to be updated about the situation? And perhaps most importantly, what clarity can regulators provide?

Read the whole story at D: All Things Digital »

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