On Monday, Nov. 28, Elon Musk claimed that Apple threatened to remove Twitter from the App Store, in accordance with its app moderation procedures. This is likely in response to Musk’s takeover of Twitter, which has sparked controversy across the country. It has even persuaded some users to leave the social media platform and prompted advertisers to pause spending.
“Apple has mostly stopped advertising on Twitter. Do they hate free speech in America?” Musk tweeted. He also tagged Apple CEO Tim Cook, questioning, “What’s going on here?”
According to the Washington Post, Apple’s spending on advertising accounted for over 4% of Twitter’s revenue for the first quarter of this year. In turn, this move will take a massive toll on the company—especially considering that it lost about half of its top 100 advertisers.
Musk then published a poll on his account, asking if “Apple should publish all censorship actions it has taken that affect its customers.” With well over two million respondents, 84.7% said yes, while 15.3% answered no, highlighting that others are also upset with Apple’s censorship policies.
Next, Musk expressed his complaints about the general 30% commission rate Apple charges app developers making over $1 million yearly through the App Store. He called this a “secret” tax, stirring discussion in the comments.
However, this criticism is not new. In 2020, Meta, formerly Facebook, requested that Apple reduce its Apple Store tax, as it was hurting small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We asked Apple to reduce its 30% App Store tax or allow us to offer Facebook Pay so we could absorb all costs for businesses struggling during COVID-19,” they said in a 2020 blog post.“Unfortunately, they dismissed both our requests and SMBs (small and medium sized-businesses) will only be paid 70% of their hard-earned revenue.”
Musk also highlighted that the company “won’t tell us why” Twitter was threatened to be withheld from the App Store, implying that this is a political move. As a result, Musk has garnered the support of Republican lawmakers, who have been advocating against censorship brought on by large technology companies.
“This is why we need to end the App Store duopoly before the end of this year. No one should have this kind of market power,” Congressman Ken Buck tweeted.
Many GOP leaders have been calling for freedom of speech on platforms such as Twitter, which, before the new leadership, banned or suspended multiple conservative accounts. Some of these included former President Donald Trump, Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene and the Babylon Bee—a conservative-leaning satire website.
“I’m the only Member of Congress the unelected big tech oligarchs permanently banned. On January 2, 2022, they violated my freedom of speech and ability to campaign & fundraise crying ‘covid misinformation.’ My account is back. Go follow @mtgreenee for MTG unfiltered ;),” the Congresswoman tweeted after gaining access to her previously banned account.
However, Musk’s plans for free speech may breach Apple policies, as the tech giant previously banned conservative platforms Gab and Parler for violations such as hate speech and encouraging violence. Cook has yet to respond to the new Twitter CEO’s questions or claims but is scheduled to meet with Republican lawmakers in Washington, D.C.
“This is a battle for the future of civilization. If free speech is lost even in America, tyranny is all that lies ahead,” Musk wrote in a tweet on Monday.
