Elon Musk slams Apple as tech giant 'pulls Twitter ads'
29 November 2022, 09:56
Twitter owner Elon Musk has slammed tech giant Apple after claiming it has pulled most of its advertising from the social media platform.
Musk has also claimed Apple is 'threatening to withhold Twitter from the App Store' without reason.
In a series of tweets posted onto Twitter, Musk accused Apple of "censorship".
Musk said: "Apple has mostly stopped advertising on Twitter. Do they hate free speech in America?"
He continued: "This is a battle for the future of civilization. If free speech is lost even in America, tyranny is all that lies ahead."
This is a battle for the future of civilization. If free speech is lost even in America, tyranny is all that lies ahead.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 29, 2022
Musk also claimed Apple "puts a secret 30% tax on everything you buy through their App Store."
He then appealed directly to Apple's CEO, asking: "What's going on here @tim_cook?"
Musk purchased Twitter for $44bn in October and faces a mass exodus of advertisers as he changes Twitter's rules over freedom of speech.
The Tesla owner hopes to make up for losses by exploring other sources of revenue, including by turning Twitter into a paid subscription service.
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Apple was the top advertiser on Twitter in the first quarter of this year, spending $48 million on adverts on the network, according to The Washington Post.
Musk's first month as Twitter owner has not been without controversy. The social network has re-instated a number of previously banned accounts, including former President Donald Trump, though he is yet to use his account.
