Elon Musk slams Apple after company pauses Twitter advertising

[Kosmik]

From an Apple friendly blog.
You can easily find many more articles.


“Apple may be engaging in monopolistic practices. In other words, some believe that the tech giant is using its position as a tech giant to reduce competition in the tech sector. Which, if true, is a big no-no.”

Apple Monopoly Accusations: How Apple Is Moving Forward

A few weeks ago, I covered a bit of news and history on accusations surrounding Apple and antitrust laws. This post is a follow-up to that post, where we

appletoolbox.com

Their IAP forcing is definitely a monopolistic practice. Non monopoly would be to allow the other forms of purchase. In app purchases should bot be the exclusive domain of the platform. Purchasing a app, distributing the app , certainly.

 

[noxibox]

So apple isn't allowed freedom of choice?

Apple is free to choose what they install on devices the company itself owns. They're also free to decide what to sell in their store. However since they currently force all owners of Apple hardware to buy from their store they are also choosing for all those people. I'm happy for Apple to keep up this behaviour though because it just brings more scrutiny and increases the likelihood of states stepping in to force them to open the platform.

 

[OhYeah84]

Do they give the hardware away?

Do Samsung or Huawei give their hardware away?

 

[cerebus]

Their IAP forcing is definitely a monopolistic practice. Non monopoly would be to allow the other forms of purchase. In app purchases should bot be the exclusive domain of the platform. Purchasing a app, distributing the app , certainly.

I could agree with that. But then again how does Sony, Nintendo etc handle in-app purchases?

 

[Kosmik]

I could agree with that. But then again how does Sony, Nintendo etc handle in-app purchases?

Not familiar with either only one I know is steam and game pass on pc neither of which are on a closed platform.

 

[PsyWulf]

I am trying to think of one single area of technology where Apple could be described as being a monopoly...

Phones? Not with Android phones outselling them 4 to 1. Perhaps if you look at the US market only where they have a 50% market share, still not a monopoly though...

Computers? Apple only has a 16% market share...

Their monopoly is on "overpriced hard to service counter-consumer practices"

 

[PsyWulf]

Not familiar with either only one I know is steam and game pass on pc neither of which are on a closed platform.

Ps4 and xbox are definitely as open platforms

 

[Kosmik]

I could agree with that. But then again how does Sony, Nintendo etc handle in-app purchases?

And , don't forget my example, they removed a app for displaying a purchase/fund option on THIER own website which was not part of the native app, just linked for referral to their audience.

I can't give more specifics than that as its a private business interaction. Folks can take my word for it or not. There's a reason why that practice has been challenged in EU courts and others and been deemed unacceptable.

 

[Dolby]

And Apple won their case against Epic. Fortnight is still not back on Apple platform.

But what if Twitter leave too?
And then Spotify ?
And Facebook don't really like Apple ?
Lots of developers don't like them either ?

And slowly more join the movement and more apps leave / banned ...

 

[AlphaJohn]

At this point I do believe the man wants Twitter to Die.

Cause it sure as hell looks like he is trying his dambdist to close its doors in such a way that he can go "Oops, sorry"

 

[R13...]

But what if Twitter leave too?
And then Spotify ?
And Facebook don't really like Apple ?
Lots of developers don't like them either ?

And slowly more join the movement and more apps leave / banned ...

Suppose that's the danger, but Apple are being arrogant in the belief that with 1.8bn iOS devices out there, the apps need them more than they need them. It's a dangerous road they're threatening to walk down. Musk may have reneged on his promise to make Twitter fair with his right wing pandering, but still it should not be up to Apple to decide what's social justice and what's not. That spectrum always tilts too far to the left and the right have been previously excluded. Unfairly.

 

[greg0205]

Not familiar with either only one I know is steam and game pass on pc neither of which are on a closed platform.

That wasn't cerebus' question 'tho... Do folks like Sony take a % from in-app purchases on their platform was.

 

[Kosmik]

That wasn't cerebus' question 'tho... Do folks like Sony take a % from in-app purchases on their platform was.

I honestly don't know and can't comment on it.

 

[noxibox]

Epic's case against Apple is still ongoing. Apple mostly won the first round. However the judge expressed serious concerns with Apple's practices and fees. They may even win their appeals, but the trend is against them. This may end up being a case of winning the battle, but losing the war. Some other companies seem to sense that legislation is coming. As usual Apple though will probably continue obliviously fighting this war until governments step in.

I am trying to think of one single area of technology where Apple could be described as being a monopoly...

Phones? Not with Android phones outselling them 4 to 1. Perhaps if you look at the US market only where they have a 50% market share, still not a monopoly though...

Computers? Apple only has a 16% market share...

This thinking ignores reality. People have an investment in a particular platform and there is no reason they should be effectively forced to switch to another due to anticompetitive practices. Apple maintains a monopoly on apps for their mobile hardware. Everything else is just semantics.

 

[Sapphiron]

They deserve eachother

 

[greg0205]

Suppose that's the danger, but Apple are being arrogant in the belief that with 1.8bn iOS devices out there, the apps need them more than they need them. It's a dangerous road they're threatening to walk down. Musk may have reneged on his promise to make Twitter fair with his right wing pandering, but still it should not be up to Apple to decide what's social justice and what's not. That spectrum always tilts too far to the left and the right have been previously excluded. Unfairly.

Now do companies not being able to choose which platforms their brand is advertised on because... social justice.

Sorry Lego, you don't get to make decisions about values, on to Storm Front you go.

 

[prod]

This thinking ignores reality. People have an investment in a particular platform and there is no reason they should be effectively forced to switch to another due to anticompetitive practices. Apple maintains a monopoly on apps for their mobile hardware. Everything else is just semantics.

Then Sony, Nintendo and MS also have monopolies on their respective console platform stores. I cannot buy God of War on the XB store can I? Google does the same thing as Apple, the difference being there are alternative store fronts available on Android, and it terms of legislation it would seem Apple is going to have to allow it sooner or later.

 

[greg0205]

I honestly don't know and can't comment on it.

Spoiler alert: They do.

 

[cerebus]

Suppose that's the danger, but Apple are being arrogant in the belief that with 1.8bn iOS devices out there, the apps need them more than they need them. It's a dangerous road they're threatening to walk down. Musk may have reneged on his promise to make Twitter fair with his right wing pandering, but still it should not be up to Apple to decide what's social justice and what's not. That spectrum always tilts too far to the left and the right have been previously excluded. Unfairly.

I think it's not so much about that as Twitter becoming dangerously unmoderated. There's stuff on there now that violates Apple's TOS in pretty clear terms. White supremacists are getting back in and COVID deniers are no longer being fact-checked.

But that might still not be enough to kick them out of the app store. There's no proof that Apple has talked about kicking them off, only Elon's claims to back up his complaints about advertising spend.

Apple pulling ads is a big deal for Twitter btw. They were more than 4% of their revenue last quarter.

 

[R13...]

Now do companies not being able to choose which platforms their brand is advertised on because... social justice.

Sorry Lego, you don't get to make decisions about values, on to Storm Front you go.

You should try reading the post I was responding to. However, on the advertising, yes Apple are pulling it because they think Musk is going to threaten the SJW that old Twitter built for "diversity".