Twitter CEO Elon Musk is reportedly set to change the price that the company charges users for its Twitter Blue subscription in an apparent attempt to offset a substantial cut that Apple takes if users sign up using Apple’s App Store.
The Information reported that Twitter will drop the $8 per month fee to $7 if users pay for it through the web and will increase the fee to $11 per month if users buy it through their iPhones.
The report said that the price change was likely to offset “the 30% cut that Apple takes on revenues from apps for iOS.”
Mashable noted that Apple does not object to companies charging more for subscriptions on Apple’s App Store than they do on the web.
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The news comes after Musk has dealt with drama surrounding Twitter’s presence on Google and Apple’s app stores in recent weeks after he took charge of the company in October.
Musk said that he would create smartphones if Apple and Google removed Twitter from the stores, a move that would be highly damaging to the social media company.
Musk’s remarks came in response to a tweet from political commentator Liz Wheeler, who wrote: “If Apple & Google boot Twitter from their app stores, @elonmusk should produce his own smartphone.”
“Half the country would happily ditch the biased, snooping iPhone & Android,” she said. “The man builds rockets to Mars, a silly little smartphone should be easy, right?”
Musk responded, “I certainly hope it does not come to that, but, yes, if there is no other choice, I will make an alternative phone.”
Musk later took further aim at Apple and its CEO, Tim Cook, over rumors that they were contemplating kicking Twitter off their store and for their scaleback of advertising on the social media site.
“Apple has mostly stopped advertising on Twitter. Do they hate free speech in America?” Musk tweeted. “What’s going on here @tim_cook?”
“Apple has also threatened to withhold Twitter from its App Store, but won’t tell us why,” Musk added.
Musk then posted a poll, which he has used in the past to make decisions about what he will do at the company, asking, “Apple should publish all censorship actions it has taken that affect its customers[?]”
Musk highlighted an account that claimed to have been silenced by Apple and asked, “Who else has Apple censored?”
Musk met with Cook at the end of last month and said that the conflict had been resolved.
“Good conversation,” Musk tweeted. “Among other things, we resolved the misunderstanding about Twitter potentially being removed from the App Store. Tim was clear that Apple never considered doing so.”
Good conversation. Among other things, we resolved the misunderstanding about Twitter potentially being removed from the App Store. Tim was clear that Apple never considered doing so.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 30, 2022
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