From Sarah Needleman's "Elon Musk Claims Apple Is Threatening to Remove Twitter From App Store" posted Monday by the Wall Street Journal:
Elon Musk says Apple is threatening to remove Twitter Inc. from its App Store and criticized the tech giant for what he called censorship. He also said the iPhone-maker has withdrawn most of its advertising spending from the social-media company.
In a series of tweets Monday, Mr. Musk asked if Apple supports free speech and posted a poll asking users whether Apple should publish all censorship actions it has taken that affect its customers. Mr. Musk also asked Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook in a tweet, “What’s going on.”
“Apple has also threatened to withhold Twitter from its App Store, but won’t tell us why,” Mr. Musk said Monday. In another tweet, he asked: “Who else has Apple censored?”...
Last week Apple executive Phil Schiller, who oversees the company’s App Store, deactivated his Twitter account, which he had used to promote Apple products. Also last week Mr. Musk said he would make his own smartphone if Apple and Google were to boot Twitter from their app stores.
“I certainly hope it does not come to that, but, yes, if there is no other choice, I will make an alternative phone,” he tweeted.
My take: Musk's ideas about free speech and censorship may be too black-and-white for the job he's taken on.
So It’s probably now worth maybe $2-3 Billion, if that much!
He has turned out be to a pathetic, petty savant to put it nicely! Except for his cult following, he is a real embarrassment.
He can easily sell TSLA stock to cover the losses.
I hope he tries. That puts an end to the monopoly / duopoly blather.
And I have the freedom to ignore Twits. And I’m free to ignore any device Musk chooses to build (whether a phone or an automobile.)
Funny that there is free speech on twitter unless you are very critical of Musk.
I wonder what Musk’s next tantrum will be about.
Freedom of speech is not guaranteed on a private platform. The App Store has rules about the content and moderation. Don’t like the rules, don’t violate them. Don’t like the rules, you have no particular “right” to be in the platform. Don’t like the rules, build your own platform. After all, Twitter is eminently accessible via any computer, browser, and it’s website.
As for advertising, Apple is just one of a bunch of advertisers who decided Twitter, at present, is not a place they want to do business with or be associated with. Twitter’s current state does not merit advertising dollars nor tacit approval by advertising on the platform, either as a going concern or business, or as a platform that is consistent with Apple’s stated goals, philosophy, or App Store rules.
If Apple has reminded TwitterMusk of Apple’s App Store rules, but Musk views that as a “threat”, that’s a Musk perception problem, maybe he should have some contract lawyers spell it out for him, assuming he’d even listen instead of playing the victim like other narcissistic folks. The previous incarnation of Twitter had no problems with the rules or moderation, and remained pretty much a strongly downloaded iOS App.
Musk continues to deflect, pass blame, and play victim instead of taking responsibility for his actions and the consequences of those actions. But if he wants to dump another $17B of TSLA stock on the TSLA market to pay back his Twitter loans and run Twitter into the ground, well, that’s what will happen with an unregulated business and an apparent haphazard business model.
Something Tim and company wants to have nothing to do with for obvious reasons.