In the middle of the Twitter takeover saga, Elon Musk is at risk with the US-based tech giant Apple. Musk claims that Apple has stopped spending on Twitter ads and that Twitter may soon be removed from the App Store.
Musk has previously claimed that Twitter’s revenue has plummeted, blaming activists for putting pressure on advertisers. More recently, the Tesla and SpaceX founder has chastised Apple for halting advertising on the platform in a series of tweets. Here are Musk’s five most controversial tweets aimed at Apple.
#1 “Apple has mostly stopped advertising on Twitter. Do they hate free speech in America?”
Musk’s most recent tweet against Apple was a direct question to the company about why it “hates free speech in America.” In a subsequent tweet in the thread, Musk even tagged Apple CEO, Tim Cook.
#2 “Apple has also threatened to withhold Twitter from its App Store, but won’t tell us why”
In a separate tweet, Musk stated that Apple has threatened to remove Twitter from the App Store, which is one of the largest markets for free and premium apps. Musk goes on to say that Apple has not clearly stated the reasons for the threat.
#3 “I certainly hope it does not come to that, but, yes, if there is no other choice, I will make an alternative phone”
The billionaire has already taken an interest in rockets and electric vehicles (EVs). Musk has now stated that if both the Play Store and the App Store remove Twitter from their platforms, he will not hesitate to create his own smartphone to compete with Apple and Google.
In a separate tweet, Musk stated that if Apple and Google remove Twitter from the App Store and Play Store, he will create an alternative phone that will compete with both Android and iOS.
#4 “Did you know Apple puts a secret 30% tax on everything you buy through their App Store?”
In another tweet, Musk discusses Apple’s secret tax on developers who publish their apps on the App Store. While the 30% cut Apple receives for sharing an app on the App Store is not exactly a secret, many developers and apps, including Epic Games and Spotify, have previously spoken out against the high amount.
#5 “Apple should publish all censorship actions it has taken that affect its customers”
Musk runs a poll in another tweet questioning Apple’s censorship actions, asking users if they think the tech giant should publish a list of all their actions contributing to censorship on various platforms.
Since Musk’s takeover of the microblogging platform last month, two issues have dominated both users and advertisers. The first of these is the new wave of content moderation, which allows all kinds of racist and other issues-related tweets to be posted on the platform in the name of free speech.
The second is the platform’s approach to verification, which has recently significantly changed. With the new $8/month Twitter Blue plan awarding everyone a Blue Tick verified badge, the risk of misinformation spreading grows.
