Topline
Twitter owner Elon Musk tweeted Wednesday afternoon he’s received assurances Apple has “never considered” removing Twitter from its App Store following an apparent meeting with Apple CEO Tim Cook, which came just days after he went on a rant against Apple and claimed the company “threatened to withhold Twitter from its App Store.”
Tesla CEO Elon Musk speaks during the unveiling of the new Tesla Model Y in Hawthorne, California, … [+]
Key Facts
Musk said Cook took him on a tour of Apple headquarters, where they had a “good conversation” which “resolved the misunderstanding about Twitter potentially being removed from the App Store.”
Musk tweeted on Monday that Apple threatened to remove Twitter and indicated he was ready to “go to war” over App Store policies, such as the 30% share Apple takes for in-app purchases for apps making at least $1 million a year through the App Store.
He also accused Apple of censorship earlier this week and at one point asked, “Do they hate free speech in America?” after claiming Apple cut back on Twitter advertising.
It’s not clear if Apple’s plans to cut ad spending on Twitter are still in place after Musk’s visit Wednesday, or if those plans existed at all—Apple has not responded to requests for comment from Forbes.
Crucial Quote
“Tim was clear that Apple never considered doing so,” Musk said of Twitter being kicked off the App Store.
Key Background
Concerns have grown recently that Musk’s moves to loosen Twitter’s moderation guidelines, such as eliminating policies banning hate speech and Covid misinformation, might risk violating the App Store rules. Apple has a lengthy list of requirements for apps being distributed there, but at the top is a guideline prohibiting “objectionable content,” including “content that is offensive, insensitive, upsetting, intended to disgust, in exceptionally poor taste or just plain creepy.” Musk at one point even suggested he’s willing to develop an “alternative phone” if Twitter is pulled from the App Store and the Google Play store, which is on Android devices. The billionaire Tesla CEO’s open threat of “war” against Apple sparked concern on Wall Street, with Wedbush analyst Dan Ives saying a “Musk vs. Apple new battle is not what investors want to see.”
Contra
The European Union issued a warning to Musk on Wednesday that it may ban Twitter unless the platform tightens its content moderation measures.
Further Reading
EU Threatens Twitter Ban Unless Musk Ramps Up Moderation Tactics, Report Says (Forbes)
Elon Musk Says Apple ‘Threatened’ To Boot Twitter From App Store—Here’s Why That Might Happen (Forbes)
Musk Says Apple Cutting Twitter Ads—Here Are The Other Companies Rethinking Their Ties (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicholasreimann/2022/11/30/musk-backtracks-apple-never-considered-pulling-twitter-from-app-store-musk-says-after-tim-cook-meeting/