[Asia Economy Reporter Yujin Cho] Elon Musk, CEO of Twitter, who expressed dissatisfaction with Apple's 'in-app payment commission,' posted a message targeting Apple. As concerns grow over Twitter's potential removal from the Apple App Store, tensions are escalating between the two companies after Apple announced it would suspend most Twitter advertisements, intensifying the full-scale conflict over commission payments.
On the 28th (local time), Musk posted a photo of a highway on his Twitter. The photo conveyed his choice to "go to war" instead of taking the path of paying the 30% commission imposed by the Apple App Store.
Through a series of tweets, he targeted Apple's in-app payment commission. He wrote, "Did you know there is a secret 30% tax on the Apple App Store?" and added, "Apple threatened to remove Twitter from the App Store but did not explain the reason."
He also targeted Apple by saying, "Apple has stopped most of the ads on Twitter," and asked, "Do they dislike freedom of expression?" He posted a survey questioning whether Apple's censorship measures on apps affecting users are justified.
In-app payment refers to the monetization method that occurs during the stage when users download an app for free and then use paid features. Apple and Google, which monopolize the app market, have been criticized for forcing payment methods to be in-app payments only and taking 30% of mobile content revenue as distribution commissions. Apple and Google can censor content in apps listed on their app markets and remove apps that do not comply with their regulations.
Behind Musk's attack on Apple lies this controversy over in-app payment commissions and the looming threat of removal. Phil Schiller, an executive in charge of the Apple App Store, recently deactivated his Twitter account, which he had used to promote Apple products and services. This move by Apple came amid rising concerns within Apple about Twitter's potential removal following Musk's dissatisfaction with the in-app payment method.
Earlier, Apple CEO Tim Cook mentioned the relationship between Twitter and Apple in a recent interview with CBS, saying, "I hope Twitter maintains restraint under the new management." He also indirectly criticized Twitter's content policy by stating, "No one wants hate speech on their platform."
This remark was essentially aimed directly at Musk's management style. After acquiring Twitter, Musk fired all executives who opposed his policies and dissolved the board. Due to mass layoffs affecting about half of the entire staff (around 3,700 people) and a shift in content policy that revived most suspended accounts, there are concerns about the spread of hate speech and fake news, leading to significant user and advertiser departures and deep internal and external crises.
According to The Washington Post (WP), one month after Musk's acquisition of Twitter, the number of followers of far-right, hardline Republican politicians surged. WP analyzed follower changes of 10 major Democratic and Republican politicians during the month after Musk's acquisition and reported that Marjorie Taylor Greene (Georgia), a far-right Republican House member who has advocated for President Joe Biden's impeachment since the last midterm election, gained over 300,000 followers.
Senator Ted Cruz (Texas) gained over 200,000 followers, Senators Rand Paul (Kentucky) and Representative Matt Gaetz (Florida) each gained over 100,000 followers, while Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren (Massachusetts), Representative Adam Schiff (California), and independent Senator Bernie Sanders (Vermont), who leans Democratic, each lost up to over 100,000 followers.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
