Musk threatens ‘war’ with Apple over claims it is censoring free speech

Elon Musk has threatened to “go to war” with Apple after accusing the iPhone-maker of stifling free speech on Twitter and threatening to block its app.

Tesla and Twitter chief executive Mr Musk launched a tirade against Apple and its chief executive Tim Cook, pitting the world’s richest man against the world’s most valuable company.

Mr Musk tweeted: “Apple has mostly stopped advertising on Twitter. Do they hate free speech in America?”

He added: “Apple has also threatened to withhold Twitter from its App Store, but won’t tell us why.”

Millions of people use Apple’s iPhones to access the Twitter app, which is downloaded through the tech giant’s App Store. The social network has around 260 million active users.

Apple has previously blocked or delayed updates to other apps over safety concerns, such as by banning rival social network Parler last year.

The tech giant can also choose to block companies from issuing updates to their apps if they break the terms of its iPhone store, such as by trying to avoid paying fees to Apple.

Mr Musk has previously criticised Apple over the fees it levies from app developers. He previously said the charge, on payments made through the iPhone App Store, was a “30pc tax on the internet” and “literally 10 times higher than it should be”.

On Monday night, Mr Musk posted a meme suggesting he planned to “go to war” rather than pay the 30pc fee.

The mercurial billionaire’s latest remarks come as advertisers threaten to abandon Twitter amid fears over a potential rise in harmful posts on the site. Fears have been stoked by Mr Musk's promise to reinstate thousands of previously banned accounts.

The decision is expected to allow figures previously blocked for breaking the website’s rules around hate speech to return. Mr Musk has already overturned a ban on the account of former US President Donald Trump as he pushes to boost free speech on the social network and remove what he sees as years of censorship by left-leaning Twitter staff.

In response, brands including Volkswagen, General Motors and Pfizer have paused advertising on Twitter, fearing their adverts could appear alongside offensive content.

Mr Musk claimed Apple had joined the boycott on Monday, claiming it had "mostly stopped advertising on Twitter." Earlier this month Phil Schiller, Apple’s top marketing executive, deleted his Twitter account, although Mr Cook continues to post regularly.

The Tesla billionaire sent a Tweet to Mr Cook, Apple’s chief executive, asking “what’s going on here” and posted a poll to his 119 million Twitter followers asking if “Apple should publish all censorship actions it has taken that affect its customers”.

Mr Musk’s claim that Apple had pulled advertising from the website could not be immediately verified. Apple’s advertising campaigns likely vary depending on whether the tech giant is launching new products.

Analysts at Pathmatics said Apple’s US advertising spend on Twitter in November so far totalled around $816,000, around 18pc less than the $1m it spent in 2021, but well short of a full pause on ad buying.

Mr Musk has sacked thousands of Twitter staff since orchestrating a $44bn takeover of the social network, including gutting the company’s advertising team.

Apple did not respond to a request comment.