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The head of Apple’s App Store deactivated his account on Twitter amid the possibility of tension between the Elon Musk-owned platform and the two companies that are the internet’s main gatekeepers: Apple and Google.
Phil Schiller, who also leads events for Apple, had been active on Twitter since 2008 and had over 200,000 followers.
Twitter still plans to relaunch its paid subscription service, Twitter Blue, at a cost of $8 per month on Nov. 29.
Since most people access Twitter on iPhones or Android devices, this means that Apple and Google stand to profit if Musk’s revamped subscription service takes off.
The head of Apple’s App Store deactivated his account on Twitter amid the possibility of tension between the platform owned by Elon Musk (above) and the two companies that are the internet’s main gatekeepers: Apple and Google
If a war of words erupts between Musk and Apple CEO Tim Cook (above), for example, Apple could remove Twitter from App Store
Both tech companies take a cut of subscriptions purchased on their platforms. For Apple, it amounts to 30%, and for Google, it’s 15%.
Those fees amount to chump change for Google and Apple, but they could become a problem for Musk – as he slashes costs relentlessly by laying off more than half the company’s workers.
Just a few days ago, Musk tweeted that ‘app store fees are obviously too high due to the iOS/Android duopoly’ and previously he’s labeled them a ‘tax on the internet.
However, the bigger problem that sparks a clash between these companies is likely to be content moderation.
In recent weeks, users have said they’ve seen a dramatic increase in racist and anti-Semitic tweets – as well as far more scams – on Twitter.
According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Twitter has fired many contractors who worked on policing the deluge of tweets for misinformation and hate speech under the site’s rules and the executives overseeing this area have quit or been laid off.
Just a few days ago, Musk tweeted that ‘app store fees are obviously too high due to the iOS/Android duopoly’ and previously he’s labeled them a ‘tax on the internet
According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Twitter has fired many contractors who worked on policing the deluge of tweets for misinformation and hate speech under the site’s rules and the executives overseeing this area have quit or been laid off
If a war of words erupts between Musk and Apple CEO Tim Cook, for example, Apple could remove Twitter from App Store.
However, Musk could could also direct Twitter users to sign up for Blue via the web – bypassing Google Play and Apple App Store entirely.
Apple has not hesitated to remove apps that violate its rules around content.
In the case of Parler, a social app popular with the right, the California-based firm removed it in the wake of the U.S. Capitol riot and insurrection.
Apple reinstated Parler three months later after the app made its moderation policies more stringent and prohibited some posts for the Apple version.
For its part, Google has removed ‘malicious’ loan apps that originated in Kenya and Nigeria, as well as recently taking down multiple apps tied to the Iranian regime.
Musk has faced a firestorm of criticism since taking over the platform and laying off more than half of the 7,000 employees it had before his buyout.
Musk’s recent ‘hardcore’ ultimatum prompted a wave of mass resignations at the troubled firm and led to Musk being trolled by someone across the street from Twitter’s San Francisco headquarters.
Someone projected a news-ticker style message that called the Chief Twit ‘space Karen,’ ‘bankruptcy baby’ and a ‘mediocre manchild,’ among other insults.
Crowds formed outside the firm’s headquarters on Market Street to watch the projection. According to Gia Vang, an NBC Bay Area reporter, the messages are from an individual calling themself a ‘projection activist.’
The projected insults also called Musk a ‘lawless oligarch,’ a ‘supreme parasite,’ a ‘cruel hoarder’ and ‘insecure colonizer.’