Apple threatens Twitter with App Store ban

Elon Musk is lashing at Apple for its tax regulations and Apple App Store policies. The new Twitter owner claimed that Apple had removed Twitter from the App Store without providing a reason and added that the company had also stopped running advertisements on the social media site. Musk claims that Apple put pressure on Twitter to comply with its demands for content moderation. Many of Musk’s supporters and followers have started a campaign on the website in support of “free speech” as a result of his tweets.
The tweets and Elon Musk’s remarks indicate that Apple is allegedly threatening to “withhold” Twitter from the App Store and it ay be related to the social media platform’s new moderation policy to protect “free speech,” despite the fact that this is still unknown.
Although Apple is yet to confirm these rumours, it has previously threatened apps to remove it from its App Store. For instance, it removed Parler – a Twitter alternative – from its App Store following the US Capitol building riots early last year. The app was restored in May 2021 after Parler updated its content and moderation practices. Similar claims were made by Lbry, which said Apple asked the company to “filter some search terms.”
Even though Musk claims that Apple does not want to support free speech, it is still unclear why the company stopped running advertisements on the platform. According to Reuters, Apple reduced its spending on Twitter advertisements from $220,800 between October 16 and 22—the week before Musk closed the Twitter deal—to an estimated $131,600 between November 10 and November 16. According to the report, the top Twitter advertiser in the first quarter of 2022 was the iPhone manufacturer.
Musk is also against the 30% fee that Apple and Google impose on in-app purchases. Twitter intends to launch Twitter Blue for $8 globally.