Elon Musk takes over Apple, creating a clash

In a series of tweets on Monday, Mr. Musk accused Apple of threatening to remove Twitter from its App Store and trying to censor it.

SAN FRANCISCO — "What's going on here @tim_cook?" Elon Musk tweeted at Apple CEO Tim Cook on Monday, sparking a spat between the world's richest man and the world's most valuable public company.

In a series of tweets lasting more than 15 minutes, Mr. Musk, the new owner of Twitter, accused Apple of threatening to remove Twitter from its App Store, a move that would prevent some new users from downloading the app. 'application. The action would amount to censorship, Musk said, with no explanation from Apple as to why Twitter would be blocked. He added that Apple has also cut advertising spending on Twitter.

Apple has virtually stopped advertising on Twitter. Do they hate free speech in America?

With his tweets, Mr. Musk has set the stage for a power struggle with Mr. Cook, who wields immense influence over other tech companies through Apple's dominance. Mr. Musk now has a vested interest in influencing Apple through his ownership of Twitter, which he bought last month for $44 billion. Twitter is distributed through the Apple App Store and is used by iPhone and iPad owners around the world. In a tweet, Mr. Musk hinted that he was ready for "war" with Apple.

Mr. Musk has been set to take on Apple since he took over Twitter. Its business plan hinges on shifting its revenue from a reliance on advertising to a greater reliance on subscription sales. But any new subscription revenue will be subject to Apple's practice of taking up to 30% off.

Mr. Musk's complaints also come at a pivotal time for Apple. There is pressure in Congress in the final months of the year to advance a series of antitrust laws. Among the bills under consideration is the Open App Markets Act, which aims to give developers more control over their apps and allow them to circumvent fees charged by Apple and Google.

"Elon is the latest chapter in a campaign to cut App Store fees, and it will resurrect a topic that has been pretty quiet for the past six months," Gene said. Munster, managing partner of Loup Ventures, a technology research company. He said he foresees a future in which App Store fees are reduced to around 20%.

Mr. Musk and an Apple spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment.

Apple is increasingly facing a backlash from developers applications, as well as pressure from regulators and politicians around the world. , on its App Store policies. The App Store has become a preferred gateway where billions of iPhone users download Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, games, and all kinds of other programs, making it an arbiter of software distribution.

Apple uses the royalties it collects from its App Store, created in 2008, to pay a team of several hundred people who examine each application it distributes. The company said its app reviewers protect customers' privacy and security, and prevent them from becoming victims of fraud.

Among the things reviewers verify, there's use of Apple's in-app payment system, which has helped the company collect about $22 billion in fees annually from developers, according to research firm Sensor Tower. market.

In 2019, Epic, the maker of the Fortnite video game, sued Apple for anti-competitive behavior with its App Store. Last year, the judge in the case ruled overwhelmingly in favor of App...