Tuesday, November 29, 2022

Elon Musk tries to start a Twitter fight with Apple

Elon Musk claims Apple has threatened to withhold Twitter from the App Store and that the iPhone maker won't say why.


Written by Liam Tung, Contributing Writer on Nov. 29, 2022
ZDNET

Getty/Anadolu Agency

Elon Musk has attempted to start a Twitter tussle with Apple, claiming the iPhone giant threatened to withhold Twitter from the App Store.

In a series of tweets Musk said Apple 'puts a secret 30% tax on everything you buy through their App Store' and said Apple has threatened to "withhold" Twitter from the App Store. Apple does charge between 15 and 30% for in-app purchases, but this cost is well known and not a secret.


Musk also says Apple has "mostly stopped advertising on Twitter". "Do they hate free speech in America?" he asked in one tweet. "What's going on here @tim_cook?" Musk asked Apple chief Tim Cook in another.

Musk has published a survey on Twitter asking his 119 million followers whether Apple should publish every instance of censorship that have affected its customers. Musk said that "Apple has also threatened to withhold Twitter from its App Store, but won't tell us why."

Neither Tim Cook nor Apple has apparently responded to Musk's Twitter storm.

The response from Musk's followers is overwhelmingly in the affirmative (84%) that Apple should disclose these details.

Via The Verge, CBS News asked Tim Cook earlier this month whether Twitter could change in a way that would cause Apple to remove it from the App Store.

"You know they say that they're going to continue to moderate, so I count on them to do that. Because I don't think anyone wants hate speech on their platform," said Cook.

When Musk announced his intent to buy Twitter in April, he said: "Free speech is the bedrock of a functioning democracy, and Twitter is the digital town square where matters vital to the future of humanity are debated."

Musk ran another survey last week asking whether Twitter should offer a general amnesty to suspended accounts, if the individuals behind them had not broken the law or engaged in spam. After votes came in, Musk said he would follow through with the amnesty this week.

Twitter's former head of safety Yoel Roth recently wrote in the New York Times that Twitter failing to adhere to Apple's and Google's respective app store guidelines "would be catastrophic". 


Elon Musk’s ‘weak stance on moderation’ is catching up to him as Apple threatens to remove Twitter app

Musk's continues to feud with almost everyone.

By Chloe Olivia Sladden
Twitter's place on Apple's App Store could be at risk.

Elon Musk’s relaxed stance on Twitter’s content moderation may finally be catching up to him as the “Chief Twit” unleashed a barrage of tweets claiming Apple threatened to kick the platform off its App Store.

On Monday, Musk tweeted that Apple “had threatened to withhold Twitter from its App Store” but refused to say why.

Apple’s App Store is the only way in which iPhone users can download Twitter onto their phones. If Apple followed through on its alleged threat, Twitter would lose a large portion of its user base, CNBC reports.



In more tweets posted on Monday, Musk called Apple’s App Store fees a “secret 30% tax” and ran a poll with his 119m followers asking if “Apple should publish all censorship actions it has taken that affect its customers.”

He added that “Apple has mostly stopped advertising on Twitter” and ended the barrage with a meme stating he would rather “go to war” with the tech giant than pay its commission.


Critics have spoken out against Musk, claiming that his “controversial public image” has begun to catch up to him.



“Musk’s controversial public image and weak stance on content moderation are catching up [to him],” Rachel Foster Jones, associate analyst at GlobalData, told Verdict.

“Brands will not want to risk their reputation and on a platform where harmful content may spread.”

Apple was the biggest advertiser on Twitter in this year’s first quarter. It is estimated that the tech giant spent $48m on advertising on the social media platform, accounting for 4% of Twitter’s total revenue during that period, Sky News reported.

Dan O’Dowd, founder of anti-Tesla self-driving safety campaign and critic of Musk, stated that the Twitter owner’s tweets demonstrate his “petulance and childness” at responding “to valid criticism with spiteful personal attacks.”

O’Dowd says that Musk’s insults are symptomatic of Twitter’s problems, including reinstating banned accounts, which is causing major advertisers to cut ties with Twitter.

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