News/Commentary

‘They don’t sound biased at all!’ Musk goes to war with Apple after threat to remove Twitter from app store

November 29, 2022 | | Print Article

Elon Musk is picking a very public fight with Apple after the tech giant not only quit most of its advertising on Twitter but threatened to pull the social media platform from its app store, prompting the Chief Twit to ask, “Do they hate free speech in America?”

(Video Credit: Reuters)

On Monday, Musk shot off a series of tweets outing Apple over its moves to silence Twitter ostensibly due to the billionaire restoring free speech on the platform.

“Apple has also threatened to withhold Twitter from its App Store, but won’t tell us why,” Musk tweeted, not pulling his punches in the least while exposing Apple’s potential censorship.

Then he further exposed Apple, accusing them of a “secret 30% tax,” and ran a poll asking if “Apple should publish all censorship actions it has taken that affect its customers.”

He also asked Apple CEO Tim Cook what the heck was going on.

Because Apple can’t control Musk, they are threatening his new acquisition. The Tesla CEO is a brawler and doesn’t take threats lightly. He’s basically declared war on Apple over their pending moves regarding censorship, exposing their bias.

Musk is fully aware that if Apple pulls Twitter from its app store that it would impact his business. It’s the only way to distribute the platform to iPhones. It will still be available on Android phones and on the web, but it could well push Musk to move forward with his own phone. He has already threatened to do so.

Apple’s threat really makes no sense. According to CNBC, “In addition, Apple requires iPhone app makers to pay between 15% and 30% of any digital goods sold through their apps. Musk has said one of his plans for Twitter is to raise billions of dollars from subscriptions, such as Twitter Blue, which is offered through the iPhone app. If it were to grow to Musk’s goals, Apple would collect hundreds of millions of dollars in the process.”

Musk has millions of fans and his massive wealth should also give Apple pause. He doesn’t make threats lightly and it is very possible he will enter the cellphone market which he could potentially wind up controlling.

Apple appears to be looking for a fight here, watching Twitter to see if it violates any of its app store policies. Both Apple and Google have made censorship overtures against Twitter since Musk took the helm and started cleaning house.

Phil Schiller, Apple’s former chief marketer who oversees App Review, deleted his Twitter account earlier this month after Musk took over.

Phillip Shoemaker, who is the former head of Apple’s app review and current CEO of Identity.com, commented that Schiller’s move to delete his Twitter account reminded him of a company making moves to “prepare for war,” according to CNBC.

Apple’s recent moves are “like when you remove troops from a country before you attack,” Shoemaker observed. “You’re thinking you’re going to have to pull these apps from the store.”

Musk has no love for Apple. In 2015, he mocked the company asserting that it only hires rejected Tesla employees and called Apple the “Tesla Graveyard.”

He may also be prepping to counter Apple as that business tactic works both ways. A meme posted Monday shows a car labeled “Elon” veering off the highway under a road sign offering two choices: “Pay 30%” and “Go to war.” The car chose the latter option.

https://twitter.com/muganga2104/status/1597419973110300672

Musk tweeted in July 2021, “Apple app store fees are a de facto global tax on the Internet.”

The Twitter CEO is all-in for free speech and he will decimate those standing in his way, including Apple.

Once again, Musk supporters are lining up to go to war with him against big tech and they fully understand this is about censorship:

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