Elon Musk is bracing for an almost inevitable showdown with Apple (AAPL) – Get a free report and Alphabet (GOOGL) – Get a free reportGoogle’s parent company.
Tesla’s billionaire CEO (TSLA) – Get a free reportwhich completed the acquisition of Twitter on October 27 at a high price of 44 billion dollars, was quick to reshape the platform in its image.
He wants it to be innovative and provocative, molding it into the place where everything is said and decided. To achieve this, the self-described “free speech absolutist” Techno King has opted for a lenient content moderation policy. Basically, Musk puts very few constraints on what is not acceptable on Twitter.
He reactivated former President Donald Trump’s account after 22 months of suspension, following the events of January 6, 2021 on Capitol Hill.
The billionaire also reactivated accounts banned for anti-trans comments and for spreading hate speech. This was the case of the conservative satirical site Babylon Bee and the conservative Canadian psychologist Jordan Peterson.
The Christian news site Babylon Bee, which looks at conservatives, was suspended last March due to a scorn from US Health Secretary Rachel Levine, a transgender woman. The message that triggered the ban was: “Babylon Bee’s Man of the Year is Rachel Levine.”
Differences regarding hate speech
As for Peterson, a right-wing commentator, he posted about transgender actor Elliot Page. The tweet read, “Remember when pride was a sin? And Ellen Page just had her boobs removed by a criminal doctor.”
Twitter also restored the account of Protect Texas Kids, a group that opposes drag shows and LGBTQ events in Texas.
The problem is that this strategy clashes with the philosophy of Apple and Alphabet. As app distributors, Apple through Apple Store and Google through Google Play, both companies have strict hate speech policies.
“When people install an app from the App Store, they want to be sure that it’s safe, that the app doesn’t contain disturbing or offensive content, that it won’t harm their device, and that it likely won’t cause physical harm from use,” the iPhone maker states in the Apple Store guidelines. “If you’re looking to shock and offend people, the App Store is not the right place for your application.”
“In determining whether to include or remove apps from Google Play, we consider a number of factors including, but not limited to, a pattern of harmful behavior or a high risk of abuse. “says Google. “We identify abuse risks, including but not limited to items such as application and developer specific complaints, news reports, history of previous violations, user feedback, and usage brands, characters and other popular assets.”
Given these guidelines from the iPhone maker and the internet giant, it’s reasonable to think we’re headed for a head-on collision between them and Musk’s Twitter. This is what one of his fans pointed out to him.
‘No other choice’
In response, Musk acknowledged that there was a risk that Apple and Google might decide to stop distributing Twitter due to violations of their policies. He then made a preemptive threat against the two Silicon Valley giants, saying he would make a smartphone, if so, to distribute Twitter.
“If Apple and Google start Twitter from their app stores, @elonmusk should produce their own smartphone,” the Twitter user said. “Half the country would be happy to ditch the biased, nosy iPhone and Android. Man builds rockets to Mars, stupid little smartphone should be easy, right?”
Musk responded.
“I sure hope it doesn’t come to that, but, yeah, if there’s no other choice, I’ll make an alternative phone,” the tech mogul announced.
He didn’t provide further details, including which of his many companies would build the phone.
Musk’s arrival in the smartphone industry would be a thunderclap. While it’s hard to imagine how that might challenge existing players, and in particular Apple, Musk would step ahead with an image and reputation as an innovator, established thanks to Tesla.
It also has a myriad of millions of fans around the world and has a huge presence in China, the country where Apple manufactures its phones and where Tesla also has a giant factory. It is therefore uncertain whether the group, based in Cupertino, Calif., would welcome competition in a country where Musk already has an established presence.
The rivalry between Apple and Tesla could take a new turn. For many years, analysts and pundits expected Apple to compete with Tesla by developing an electric vehicle.
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