Shaun King says he was told — no more information than that, mind you — that “Apple and Google will remove Twitter from the App Store if it does not moderate and remove hate speech under” Elon Musk and that “Amazon web services has the same commitment”:
I am told this morning that Apple and Google will remove Twitter from the App Store if it does not moderate and remove hate speech under @ElonMusk.
This isn’t a new policy, but a commitment already made.
Amazon Web Services has the same commitment.
So there’s that.
— Shaun King (@shaunking) April 27, 2022
Now, before we just dismiss King’s “I am told” reporting, this *is* something libs are targeting Musk over. From Media Matters President and CEO Angelo Carusone:
“Apple should make clear and reiterate that Twitter won’t get special treatment. Some of what Musk plans to do will violate Apple’s requirements for the App Store and Apple needs to make it clear they will enforce their rules and uphold their requirements.”
7/ Apple should make clear and reiterate that Twitter won't get special treatment. Some of what Musk plans to do will violate Apple's requirements for the App Store and Apple needs to make it clear they will enforce their rules and uphold their requirements.
— Angelo Carusone (@GoAngelo) April 25, 2022
Other blue-check are preemptively targeting Apple as well:
Hey @Apple what’s your response to Musk’s plan to violate your rules for the app store? Please kick @Twitter off the App Store as soon as Musk’s planned free-for-all begins. https://t.co/oR42NdASdR
— Mark Hughes (@markhughesfilms) April 25, 2022
And we know how they define “hate speech.” Will libs stop until they get what they want?
The definition of "hate speech" is anything the left doesn't like and it's by design.
This was a problem from day 1 and far too many were afraid to address it for fear of being called a racist. Now here we are. https://t.co/4os0HlAbjE
— Will Ricciardella (@WillRicci) April 27, 2022
Marc Andreessen added that it’s correct to say, “If @elonmusk manages to liberate Twitter, efforts to control free speech will move to the Apple / Google level, and then to the national level:
This is correct. And, to every other layer of the tech stack: client and server side ISPs, cloud services, video and ebook platforms, CDNs, DNS, browsers, email clients, operating systems. https://t.co/abXoz9FWfa
— Marc Andreessen (@pmarca) April 26, 2022
Over to you, Mr. Musk. What’s the plan when they do this?
This is my big concern if @elonmusk does adopt a free speech model. What does he do when Apple threatens to remove Twitter from the App Store? Same with ISPs. This big tech power structure was built with intentionality.
Does @elonmusk have a plan for this inevitability? https://t.co/HXMJRbvS9K
— Jason Howerton (@jason_howerton) April 26, 2022
One thing he could do is build his own app store. . .
Knowing Elon Musk he will just build the Web3/Free speech version of this services. Would be a killer blow to their business models. https://t.co/Vx5BQM1KVs
— Danny Oyekan (@futtrillionaire) April 27, 2022
. . .which is something that might not be too far from reality:
Apple app store fees are a de facto global tax on the Internet. Epic is right.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 30, 2021
Stay tuned. . .
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