Elon Musk says Apple has cut most of its advertising on Twitter.
Elon Musk claims Apple is ‘muffling’ free speech
The SpaceX founder condemned the Steve Jobs-founded company for limiting its ad spend on the microblogging app and for apparently threatening to remove the Twitter app from the App Store.
The argument comes after other firms have stepped back from the site – which the 51-year-old billionaire took control of late last month when his $44 billion takeover went through – following Elon’s content moderation plans.
The Tesla founder blamed the “massive” dip in ad revenue on people pressuring advertisers to step away from the site that has allowed controversial figures like former US President Donald Trump, Andrew Tate and rapper Kanye West back on following their removal for inciting violence.
On Monday, Elon said: “Apple has mostly stopped advertising on Twitter. Do they hate free speech in America? What’s going on here @tim_cook? Apple has also threatened to withhold Twitter from its App Store, but won’t tell us why.”
According to the Washington Post, Apple was one of Twitter’s top ad sale sources with a spend of £48 million in the first three months of 2022.
Other companies, such as General Mills and Volkswagen, have already limited their dealings with the microblogging app.
Elon appealed to users: “This is a battle for the future of civilization. If free speech is lost even in America, tyranny is all that lies ahead.”
In addition, he polled users, asking: “Apple should publish all censorship actions it has taken that affect its customers,” with the option to pick ‘yes’ or ‘no’.