Elon Musk started a new battle on Twitter, this time against Apple. The tycoon accused those from Cupertino of stopping advertising on the social network, followed by a battery of tweets charging against the App Store tax. Although Musk has focused his strategy on freedom of expression, the truth is that the loss of an advertiser like Apple is not minor.
A report from Washington Post indicates that Apple was the company that spent the most on advertising during the first quarter of 2022. A document compiled from internal Twitter data hinted that Apple was the top advertiser thanks to an investment of $48 million. Those from Cupertino led the list and generated 4% of the total income of the social network during this period.
The Apple news comes at a crucial time for the company. The first month of the Elon Musk era is distinguished by the wave of layoffs and resignations, as well as the departure of dozens of companies that will no longer advertise on the platform. In accordance with Media Matters for Americain just one week Twitter lost 50 of the top 100 advertisers, while others gradually reduce their investment.
Although companies like Coca Cola, Nestlé, Chanel and others began the exodus from the platform before the arrival of Elon Musk, others like Ford, Chevrolet, Jeep or Novartis did so this year. These advertisers spent 750 million dollars during 2022. According to the report, some companies quietly stopped investing, while they were boosted by the arrival of Elon Musk.
Apple’s impact on Twitter goes beyond ads
Despite the fact that Elon Musk used freedom of expression and the 30% tax as a weapon against those of Cupertino, there is another edge that would jeopardize the continuity of Twitter. One of Musk’s tweets mentioned that Apple threatened to remove Twitter from the App Store for no apparent reason. Although there is no evidence on the latter, Apple’s rules are clear when it comes to a violation of its terms of use.
The absence of a moderation mechanism It was enough to suspend Parler, the application used as an alternative by conservatives in the United States. In an interview with foxnewsTim Cook stated that does not consider that freedom of expression and incitement to violence have an intersection. “Apple does not view the promotion of violence as a form of free speech. […] We have rules and regulations, and we just ask that people abide by them,” Cook said.
In the case of Twitter, platform moderation has always been a problem for Elon Musk. After the purchase was confirmed, the new owner fired key employees of that division, while others resigned within days. In some cases, entire offices closed their doors jeopardizing the continuity of the platform.
If Twitter doesn’t solve problems like misinformation or hate speech, it’s not just facing a possible suspension from the App Store, but a general blockade in the European Union. The rules are clear and Elon Musk will have to follow them whether he likes it or not.