ELON Musk accused Apple Inc of threatening to block Twitter Inc from its app store without saying why in a series of tweets on Monday that also said the iPhone maker had stopped advertising on the social media platform.
The billionaire CEO of Twitter and Tesla said Apple was pressuring Twitter over content moderation demands.
The action, unconfirmed by Apple, would not be unusual as the company has routinely enforced its rules and previously removed apps such as Gab and Parler.
Parler, which is popular with U.S. conservatives, was restored by Apple in 2021 after the app updated its content and moderation practices, the companies said at the time.
"Apple has mostly stopped advertising on Twitter. Do they hate free speech in America?," Musk, who took Twitter private for $44 billion last month, said in a tweet.
He later tagged Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook's Twitter account in another tweet, asking "what's going on here?"
Apple did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
"It wasn't clear to me how far up the Apple food chain that idea went internally and without knowing that, it isn't clear how seriously to take any of this," said Randal Picker, a professor at the University of Chicago Law School.
The world's most valuable firm spent an estimated $131,600 on Twitter ads between Nov. 10 and Nov. 16, down from $220,800 between Oct. 16 and Oct. 22, the week before Musk closed the Twitter deal, according to ad measurement firm Pathmatics.
In the first quarter of 2022, Apple was the top advertiser on Twitter, spending $48 million and accounting for more than 4% of total revenue for the period, the Washington Post reported, citing an internal Twitter document.
Twitter did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on the report.
'GO TO WAR'
Among the list of grievances tweeted by Musk was the up to 30% fee Apple charges software developers for in-app purchases, with Musk posting a meme suggesting he was willing to "go to war" with Apple rather than paying the commission.
The fee has drawn criticism and lawsuits from companies such as Epic Games, the maker of 'Fortnite', while attracting the scrutiny of regulators globally.
The commission could weigh on Musk's attempts to boost subscription revenue at Twitter, in part to make up for the exodus of advertisers over content moderation concerns.
Companies from General Mills Inc to luxury automaker Audi of America have stopped or paused advertising on Twitter since the acquisition, and Musk said earlier this month that the company had seen a "massive" drop in revenue.
Ad sales account for about 90% of Twitter's revenue.
The self-described free speech absolutist, whose company has in the past few days reinstated several Twitter accounts including that of former U.S. President Donald Trump, has blamed activist groups for pressuring advertisers.
Ben Bajarin, the head of consumer technologies at research firm Creative Strategies, said that Musk may be reading too much into a regular process Apple goes through in app review.
"App review from Apple is not perfect by any means and a consistently frustrating process for developers but from what I hear it is a two-way conversation," he said.
Reuters
Tue Nov 29 2022
The billionaire CEO of Twitter and Tesla said Apple was pressuring Twitter over content moderation demands. - REUTERS
[KOLUMNIS] PRK Kuala Kubu Baharu: Pertandingan untuk tawan atau tahan
PRK DUN KKB menyaksikan pertembungan empat penjuru antara calon PH, PN, PRK, PRM dan calon Bebas.
Sultan Selangor ingatkan jemaah haji persiapkan diri sebaiknya
Sultan Selangor menasihatkan bakal jemaah haji untuk mempersiapkan diri sebaik-baiknya, bagi melaksanakan Rukun Islam kelima.
PRK Kuala Kubu Baharu: Calon PN harap tiada lagi serangan peribadi
Khairul Azhari Saut berharap tiada lagi isu peribadi yang akan dijadikan 'peluru' untuk menyerangnya sepanjang kempen.
Kelantan: 70 peratus kemalangan maut babit penunggang, pembonceng motosikal
70 peratus kes kemalangan maut yang dicatat berlaku dari 1 hingga 26 April di Kelantan, membabitkan penunggang dan pembonceng motosikal.
[TERKINI] WEF | Pembangunan dunia yang tidak seimbang, Apa Solusi?
Mesyuarat Khas Forum Ekonomi Dunia (WEF) di Arab Saudi merungkai masalah ekonomi dan ketidakseimbangan pembangunan yang sedang melanda dunia. Menteri MITI, Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz dan Menteri Kewangan Arab Saudi, Mohammed Al-Jadaan berada sepentas merungkai masalah dunia yang memberi impak kepada semua negara.
PRK Kuala Kubu Baharu: Calon PH, PN bertembung ketika kempen
Dua calon yang bersaing bagi PRK Kuala Kubu Baharu hari ini bertembung buat kali pertama sejak hari penamaan calon semalam.
AWANI Ringkas: 1MDB - Polis Jerman rampas 4 kereta Bugatti Veyron edisi terhad
Ikuti rangkuman berita utama yang menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari di Astro AWANI menerusi AWANI Ringkas.
Gempa bumi Indonesia, Tasikmalaya paling terjejas
Sekurang-kurangnya empat orang cedera dan 27 keluarga lagi terkesan selepas satu gempa bumi dengan magnitud 6.2 melanda Daerah Garut di Jawa Barat pada pukul 11.29 pagi waktu tempatan, Ahad.
Air penstabil dan pemangkin pembangunan negara - Fadillah Yusof
Air merupakan komponen penting yang bertindak sebagai penstabil dan pemangkin untuk pembangunan negara yang mampan.
Pelaburan RM2.4 bilion dibawa masuk ke Terengganu - MB
Sebanyak RM2.4 bilion nilai pelaburan yang berpotensi sedang dibawa masuk ke Terengganu setakat bulan April ini.
Tesla mula jual robot Optimus menjelang akhir tahun depan - Elon Musk
Beberapa syarikat telah mempertaruhkan robot humanoid untuk penuhi potensi kekurangan tenaga kerja dan melaksanakan tugas berulang.
Elon Musk mungkin kenakan caj untuk pengguna X baharu, sebelum boleh lakukan perkongsian
Ia dikatakan mungkin adalah satu-satunya cara mengatasi masalah bot spam, apatah lagi dengan pelbagai kebolehan teknologi AI.
Lebih 10 peratus pekerja Tesla di seluruh dunia diberhentikan
Tesla memberhentikan lebih 10 peratus tenaga kerja globalnya akibat penurunan jualan dan perang harga yang meningkat untuk kenderaan elektrik (EV).
X akan buang ciri sorok calit biru
X mula beri notifikasi bahawa ciri menyorokkan calit ini akan dihentikan dalam masa terdekat. Ia muncul dalam tetapan pelanggan X Premium.
Elon Musk sasar pengenalan Tesla Robotaxi pada 8 Ogos
Musk berkongsi mengenainya selepas Reuters melaporkan Tesla membatalkan pembangunan kereta mampu milik mereka disebabkan persaingan bersama syarikat pengeluar lain.
Di tangga ketiga manusia paling kaya dunia, Zuckerberg kini atasi Musk
Mark Zuckerberg mempunyai nilai kekayaan mencapai $187 bilion, mengatasi Elon Musk dengan nilai kekayaan $181 bilion.
Berita antarabangsa pilihan sepanjang hari ini
Antara pelbagai berita luar negara yang disiarkan di Astro AWANI, berikut adalah yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari ini.
X akan tawar ciri premium percuma jika ada lebih 2,500 pengikut disahkan
ELON Musk memaklumkan perubahan pada penawaran ciri-ciri X kepada semua akaun.
Lelaki lumpuh guna implan otak kawal komputer dengan fikiran
Seorang lelaki yang keempat-empat anggota tubuhnya menjadi lumpuh mampu mengawal komputer hanya menggunakan fikirannya.
Musk pertahan diri ambil dadah
ELON Musk menganggap penggunaan dadah oleh dirinya sendiri memberi manfaat kepada pelabur Tesla dalam satu temu bual disiarkan pada Isnin.