After the first unsuccessful launch, the subscription to have the blue ticks on Twitter wanted by Elon Musk is about to return, hoping to avoid the chaos of the first time. But according to some experts, the future of Twitter Blue it also depends on the Google and Apple mobile stores. Why Musk might seem reluctant to accept the commissions on the App Store and Play Store. And ready to quarrel with the two giants of the mobile world.
Twitter Blue will bring Musk into confrontation with Apple and Google
Musk wants to raise the cost of the subscription of Twitter from $4.99 to $7.99. In these three euros there are some new features, but the main one is undoubtedly the ability to have the “blue tick” of the verified account next to your name. After the generalized chaos, with Super Mario making rude gestures and advertising agencies leaving the social network, Musk wants to try again by launching the new Twitter Blue on November 29th.
By paying through the mobile app, a percentage of the subscription will go to the developers of the operating system: 30% for Apple (15% after the first year) and 15% for Google. Bloomberg analyst Mark Gurman explains that even if only 1% of Twitter’s 250 million users, the social company would have to pay 72 million euros to Apple and 36 to Google. Which are not much compared to the operating costs of the social network. But Musk has already several times criticized the “internet tax” of Google and Apple.
For now, Musk has not said anything on the matter. Also because right now he really doesn’t need to fight with trillion-dollar companies, Twitter already has several problems of its own.
But in the future, perhaps the billionaire could restart a media and legal issue already started by Fortnite, which had called Apple and Google into question for the commissions on in-app purchases.
From the point of view of Cupertino and Mountain View, however, there is an even more important issue: the content moderation. Musk has repeatedly spoken about freedom of speech on social media. With results that are certainly not exciting: in the last one month some analytics sites report a +500% increase in the use of racist epithets on social media.
However, Mark Gurman thinks that “Apple and Google will give Twitter an unusual leewayvra“, compared to other apps. Especially since, like it or not, Twitter remains an important outlet for public opinion: it can’t be blocked like any other app.