Elon Musk picks fight with Apple over ad spending, free speech commitment | 24CA News
Elon Musk accused Apple of threatening to dam Twitter Inc. from its app retailer and says the iPhone maker has stopped promoting on the social media platform as a result of it’s afraid of free speech.
In a collection of tweets on Monday, the billionaire CEO of Twitter and Tesla accused the smartphone maker of not promoting on Twitter, insinuating it’s as a result of the corporate is attempting to censor content material on the web.
“Apple has mostly stopped advertising on Twitter. Do they hate free speech in America?” Musk mentioned.
Later within the day, he additionally mentioned Apple is contemplating eradicating Twitter from its app retailer, with out offering any proof of that.
Apple has additionally threatened to withhold Twitter from its App Store, however gained’t inform us why
—@elonmusk
He later tagged Apple CEO Tim Cook’s Twitter account in one other tweet, asking “What’s going on here?”
Although Apple has mentioned nothing about any such plan, it will not be with out precedent. The firm routinely enforced its guidelines on to third-party apps in its app retailer, a coverage that led to the removing of apps reminiscent of Gab and Parler, which is standard with U.S. conservatives.
Parler was restored by Apple in 2021 after the app up to date its content material and moderation practices, the businesses mentioned on the time.
War of phrases
Musk additionally mentioned “yes” in response to a consumer query on whether or not Apple was threatening Twitter’s presence within the app retailer or making moderation calls for.
Apple didn’t instantly reply to requests for remark.
The firm spent an estimated $131,600 US on Twitter advertisements between Nov. 10 and Nov. 16, down from $220,800 US between Oct. 16 and Oct. 22, the week earlier than Musk closed the Twitter deal, in response to advert measurement agency Pathmatics.
A rising checklist of corporations from General Mills Inc. to luxurious automaker Audi of America have stopped or paused promoting on Twitter for the reason that acquisition.
Musk, a self-described free speech absolutist, mentioned earlier this month that Twitter had seen a “massive” drop in income and blamed activist teams for pressuring advertisers. Ad gross sales account for about 90 per cent of Twitter’s income.
The platform has up to now few days reinstated the account of former U.S. President Donald Trump, in addition to comic Kathy Griffin and U.S. House Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene.
The Trump reinstatement prompted a coalition of civil rights activists to say final week that they have been urging Twitter’s advertisers to challenge statements about pulling their advertisements off the platform.
At a presentation for advertisers in May, some advert companies and types have been already skeptical on issues that Musk would reduce content material moderation and safety safety on the platform.
