Twitter Being Removed from iPhones? Elon Musk Calls Out Apple for Shocking Threat

Elon Musk, the owner of Twitter, said in a series of tweets on Monday that Apple had threatened to remove the Twitter app from the App Store as part of its monitoring of app reviews.

Musk tweeted that "Apple has also threatened to remove Twitter from its App Store, but won't explain why."

He also held a poll asking if "Apple should publicize any censoring acts it has made that harm its consumers" and claimed that Apple has removed the majority of its advertising from Twitter in additional tweets sent out on Monday morning.

Elon Musk: Apple Threatens to Yank Twitter

The sole method for distributing applications to iPhones is through Apple's App Store. Although the service is accessible via the web, if the Twitter app were to be removed, the social network would lose one of its primary distribution platforms. Additionally, Apple mandates that developers of iPhone applications pay between 15% and 30% of any digital items that are sold through those apps.

One of Musk's objectives for Twitter, according to him, is to raise billions of dollars through subscription services like Twitter Blue, which is accessible via the iPhone app. Apple would make hundreds of millions of dollars if it were to expand to Musk's ambitions.

Musk is no new to grabbing the attention of the public and may provide Apple with its largest challenge to its control over the distribution of iPhone apps to yet. Apple has faced challenges to its App Store prices and restrictions from businesses like Spotify and Epic Games.

Regarding Musk's remarks, Apple opted not to respond. However, there are indications that Apple is actively monitoring the social network to determine whether it refuses to obey any App Store rules, as per CNBC.

It comes after Twitter gave its workforce an ultimatum and abruptly closed its offices earlier this month. On November 18, the company informed its staff through email that their passes had been revoked until the building reopened the following week.

Musk has previously warned his staff to either find another job or demonstrate their dedication to the platform by committing to work "long hours at high intensity." This allegedly resulted in widespread resignations, according to Mirror.

Twitter Advertising Goal

Based on an internal Twitter document, Apple was Twitter's biggest advertiser in the first quarter of 2022, contributing more than 4% of all revenue for the quarter.

The up to 30% commission fee Apple charges software developers for in-app sales was one of the complaints Musk listed on Twitter. Musk posted a meme implying he was prepared to "go to war" with Apple rather than pay the commission.

Companies like Epic Games, the developer of 'Fortnite,' have criticized and sued the fee, and it has garnered the attention of authorities throughout the world. Musk's efforts to increase Twitter's subscription fees, in part to offset advertisers' flight due to worries over content moderation, may be hindered by the commission, according to The Telegraph via MSN.

Since the acquisition, businesses ranging from General Mills Inc. to luxury manufacturer Audi of America have discontinued or suspended their Twitter advertising, and Musk said earlier this month that the firm had experienced a "huge" decline in income.

About 90% of Twitter's revenue comes from ad revenues. The self-described "absolutist" of free speech, whose business recently restored multiple Twitter accounts, including that of former US President Donald Trump, has accused activist organizations of pushing advertising.

Ben Bajarin, the director of consumer technology at the research firm Creative Strategies, suggested that Musk could be interpreting Apple's app approval procedure too broadly.