New Twitter boss Elon Musk said he’s not opposed to the idea of creating his smartphone if Apple and Google remove the app from their platforms. On Saturday, a Twitter user asked, “If Apple and Google boot Twitter from their app stores, @elon Musk should produce his smartphone.” Half the country would happily ditch the biased, snooping iPhone and Android. “The man builds rockets to Mars; a silly little smartphone should be easy, right?” Following this, Musk replied: “I certainly hope it does not come to that, but, yes, if there is no other choice, I will make an alternative phone.”
Neither Apple nor Google have officially said or indicated they plan to ban Twitter, though both companies do have policies in place that prevent hate speech, discrimination, and harassment. Both companies have at one point banned Parler, a right-wing alternative to Twitter, though Apple let it return to its App Store in April 2021 and Google reinstated the app this September after it made improvements to its moderation policies.
It would not be too hard for Apple and Google to boot Twitter from the app stores if Musk does not comply with their guidelines. Musk recently announced that Twitter’s subscription plan will be rolled out in the coming week.
Musk plans to charge $8 for the plan, which gives users access to special features along with a checkmark beside their names. If the rollout goes well, Twitter’s revenue will witness a rise, but it won’t be the only company gaining. Apple and Google will also benefit from Twitter’s paid subscription plan.
To recall, Apple and Google both take a commission on subscriptions purchased on their platforms. Both tech giants charge 15 percent from the developers for the subscription-based programs. The price was reduced from 30 percent to 15 percent.
