Elon Musk Tries to Fight Apple: Who Is the Winner?

We are already used to eccentric statements of the famous billionaire but still, how far can one come without being smacked? 

Elon Musk purchased Twitter in October 2022. Since then, the hype around the businessman and one of the biggest social networks hasn't calmed down. We have seen Elon firing all of Twitter’s top management and the majority of staff. Then, he threatened to introduce paid Twitter accounts in an attempt to eliminate bots and propagate free speech. Now, we are constantly asking ourselves: what's next?

But it seems that Elon Musk cannot live without attention, it doesn't matter whether he attracts it in a positive or a negative way. So, on Monday, 28 November, he started a long rant against Apple by accusing the tech bear that they almost stopped buying ads on Twitter. 

Source: Twitter

Just to note, Apple is one of the main advertisers on Twitter, and during the first quarter of 2022, the company spent $48 mln on Twitter ads. He also added that Apple threatened to withdraw the Twitter app from the Apple Store.

Source: Twitter

Indeed, Apple is known for applying such measures to companies that breached its security policies or hosted violent or otherwise problematic content. This billionaire’s rant also demonstrated clearly that Apple is important for Twitter and can impact Elon’s chaotic reign over the network.

Anyway, somebody commented about the hidden 30% tax charged by Apple, and Elon Musk picked it up by posting a meme where he allegedly “goes to war” with Apple.

Source: Twitter

Later though, the billionaire reconsidered his plans regarding the war and removed the meme. And indeed, the policy of Apple that requires apps to use the company’s in-app payment system that takes 30% of payments for the first time, and then charges 15% on a yearly basis, has been public for a long time. There was no secret around it.

Moreover, fighting with somebody who brings you around 4% of profit (this is the share of profit Apple delivers when purchasing Twitter ads) is probably not the wisest idea.

Also, if Apple removed the app, it would mean that millions of users couldn’t download the app or update it. Most likely, they would abandon Twitter.

Is it important for Twitter indeed?

Rather yes. “Failure to adhere to Apple’s and Google’s guidelines would be catastrophic, risking Twitter’s expulsion from their app stores and making it more difficult for billions of potential users to get Twitter’s services,” Yoel Roth, the company’s former head of Trust and Safety, wrote. 

App Store representatives have regularly raised concerns about the content published on Twitter claiming it doesn’t comply with Apple and Google policies. With the arrival of Elon Musk as CEO and the firing of the majority of team members, the network is not moderated and thus, is being filled with violence and hatred, while Apple has always promoted the Apple Store as a “safe and trusted place”. 

According to the Apple store guidelines, apps “should not include content that is offensive, insensitive, upsetting, intended to disgust, in exceptionally poor taste, or just plain creepy.” Twitter doesn’t comply with these guidelines.

Elon Musk must understand these controversies and thus, tried to prevent the Twitter app from being eliminated from the Apple store. 

Angelo Carusone, President of Media Matters believes so, too. He says that “Musk is targeting Apple to draw them into a controversy in the hope that then, for Apple it will be more difficult to apply their terms of service when it comes to the Apple Store”. Considering that Elon Musk has driven off 50% of advertisers, such a move against Apple was too risky. If Elon Musk crosses the line, the consequences can be long-lasting and pretty serious. The billionaire understands it, as well.

Apple CEO Tim Cook doesn’t usually get involved in online dramas, even if Elon Musk starts them. So, he ignored the rant this time, too. That’s why when the time comes to calm down, Elon Musk visits Tim personally in the Apple headquarters and “solves” the issue that he has created himself.

Source: Twitter

So, Elon Musk started the fight, tried to escalate it, and when the opponent ignored him, resolved the dispute in an amicable way. Kudos, guy!