Elon Musk Says Apple Threatened To Remove Twitter From App Store

On Monday, Twitter CEO Elon Musk lashed out at Apple, accusing the tech giant of threatening to remove his recently acquired social media platform from the App Store.

People were predicting that something was brewing between Twitter and Apple. On 28th November, Elon said that “Apple has mostly stopped advertising on Twitter” and asked whether they hate free speech in America.

On Monday, he tweeted that Apple is allegedly threatening to “withhold” Twitter from its App Store, without specifying the reasons.

Musk claims that Apple is putting pressure on Twitter over content moderation requirements. Musk is portraying Apple as a censor while simultaneously railing against the fees the corporation charges apps that operate in its ecosystem, which are hefty at 30%.

Following his remarks, several of Musk’s supporters and followers launched a campaign on Twitter in support of “free speech.”

Reason Behind This Feud

Musk is upset that Apple and Google charge a 30% fee for in-app purchases. He’s about to launch Twitter Blue internationally, which will cost users $8. This means these tech giants would take a 30% cut of all the revenue collected from Blue subscriptions (purchased through iOS and Android Apps). “Did you know Apple puts a secret 30% tax on everything you buy through their App Store?” Musk tweeted.

Although Apple has yet to confirm these accusations, this is not the first time the tech giant has threatened to remove a social media app from its App Store. For example, following the rioting at the US Capitol Building early last year, it dropped Parler, a Twitter rival, from its App Store. The app was restored in May 2021 after Parler changed its content and moderation methods.

Musk’s “Free Speech” Revolution

Musk, who describes himself as a “free speech absolutist,” believes that all content permitted by law should be allowed on Twitter. He portrayed his actions on Monday as a “revolution against online censorship in America.”

He also tweeted that he intended to reveal “Twitter Files on Free Speech Suppression,” but did not specify what data he intended to share with the public.

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