Elon Musk met Tim Cook to the campus of Apple a Cupertinoafter a week of clashes to the sound of tweets: but now he thinks that the situation is clear and that Twitter will remain on the App Store. Musk explains that Apple’s CEO never considered removing the platform from iPhones.
Musk meets Tim Cook: Twitter will remain on the App Store
Over the past week, Musk had repeatedly accused Apple of want to “boycott” Twitter. You had said that Apple had threatened to rremove the social network from the App Store, had said Apple wanted to remove advertising from the platform and had postponed yet another relaunch of Twitter Blue to avoid paying Apple’s “Internet tax” of 30% on App Store purchases.
After meeting Tim Cook, the tone seems to have changed. “Nice conversation. Among other things, we fixed the misunderstanding regarding the removal of potentially removed Twitter from the App Store. Tim was clear: Apple never considered doing that.”
Musk did not point out that the misunderstanding was amplified by his tweeting to all of his followers that “Apple has threatened to remove Twitter from the App Store, and he doesn’t even want to tell us why!” just a few days ago.
Musk didn’t go into detail when reporting his conversation with Cook. So we don’t know if they discussed the 30% “Internet tax”against which he had attacked. Nor does the moderation issue on Twitter.
Commentators who know the two sides best think Musk has agreed to maintain a minimal basis of content moderation. Harder than he got a “discount” on the App Store fee: with the trial contro Epic Games not yet definitively resolved, it is unlikely that Apple will give up on this front.
The truce has been signed, we still need to understand the terms of the peace. And if they will be respected.