Elon Musk, the new head of Twitter, revealed via a tweet on the platform that Apple had “mostly stopped advertising” on the platform and the company had threatened to “withhold” Twitter from the iOS App Store for unknown reasons.
The SpaceX founder also launched a poll asking whether Apple should “publish all censorship actions it has taken that affect its customers.”
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Apple’s expenditure on Twitter ads
There has been tension brewing between Apple and Twitter ever since Musk took over the helm of the social networking company. Earlier this month, Musk blamed activist groups for pressuring advertisers to withdraw from his platform which resulted in Twitter seeing a “massive” drop in revenue.
When it comes to Apple, the company spent an estimated $131,600 on Twitter ads between November 10 and November 16, which was a significant decrease from $220,800 between October 16 and October 22 — which was the week before Musk closed the Twitter acquisition deal.
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Following Musk’s takeover, shortly after his decision to reinstate former President Donald Trump on the site, Apple App Store head Phil Schiller deleted his Twitter account. The Tesla owner has also called out Apple’s App store for its in-app purchases, dubbing it a “hidden 30% tax” online.
In an interview with CBS News, Apple CEO Tim Cook said that he was still under the hope that Musk is “going to continue to moderate. I’m counting on them to continue to do that.”
Several companies including General Mills Inc and luxury car manufacturer Audi have paused advertising on Twitter since Musk took over. General Motors Co has also temporarily halted paid advertising on the social media platform.