Elon Musk is currently at war with US-based tech giant Apple amidst the Twitter takeover chaos. Musk has claimed that Apple has stopped spending on Twitter ads and could soon boot Twitter from the App Store.
Musk has previously claimed that Twitter has seen a massive drop in revenue, blaming activists for pressuring advertisers. More recently, the Tesla and SpaceX founder has targeted Apple for backing out of advertising on the platform, posting a series of tweets about the same.
Here are the five most controversial tweets by Musk targeted at Apple.
‘Does Apple hate free speech in America?’
Musk’s latest in many tweets against Apple came out as a direct question to Apple on why the company “hates free speech in America. ” Musk even went on to tag Apple CEO Tim Cook in a subsequent tweet in the thread.
Apple has mostly stopped advertising on Twitter. Do they hate free speech in America?
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 28, 2022
‘Apple has also threatened to withhold Twitter from its App Store’
Musk has also said in a separate tweet that Apple has threatened him with removing Twitter from the App Store, which happens to be one of the largest markets for free and premium apps. Musk adds that Apple has not clearly stated the reasons behind the threat.
Apple has also threatened to withhold Twitter from its App Store, but won’t tell us why
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 28, 2022
‘I will make an alternative phone’
The billionaire has already ventured into rockets and electric cars. Now Musk has said that he will not shy away from making his own smartphone to rival Apple and Google if both the Play Store and the App Store boot Twitter from the platforms.
I certainly hope it does not come to that, but, yes, if there is no other choice, I will make an alternative phone
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 25, 2022
‘Apple puts a secret 30% tax on everything’
In yet another tweet, Musk talks about the ‘secret’ tax Apple levies on developers who publish their apps on the App Store.. While the 30% cut Apple gets for sharing an app on the App Store is not exactly a secret, many developers and apps have been vocally against the high amount in the past, including Epic Games and Spotify.
Did you know Apple puts a secret 30% tax on everything you buy through their App Store? https://t.co/LGkPZ4EYcz
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 28, 2022
‘Apple should publish all censorship actions’
In another tweet questioning Apple’s actions towards censorship, Musk runs a poll asking users if they think the tech giant should publish a list of all their actions contributing to censorship on various platforms.
Apple should publish all censorship actions it has taken that affect its customers
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 28, 2022
Musk has also said in a separate tweet that if Apple and Google do take down Twitter from the App Store and Play Store, he will make an alternative phone that will both rival Android and iOS.
Since Musk’s takeover of the micro-blogging platform last month, two aspects have been of prime concern for both users and advertisers. The first of these is the new wave of content moderation, which allows all kinds of tweets related to racism and other issues to go up on the platform in the name of free speech.
The second is the platform’s approach to verification, which has undergone a massive change recently. With the new $8 Twitter Blue programme being able to grant everyone a Blue Tick verified badge, the risk of misinformation spreading also looms large.
