Elon Musk: Apple's App Store Fees Are a 'De Facto Global Tax on the Internet'

Tesla CEO Elon Musk took to Twitter today to criticize Apple's App Store fees in a tweet that sides with Epic in the ongoing Epic v. Apple dispute.

app store blue banner
"Epic is right," wrote Musk, before going on to call Apple's ‌App Store‌ fees a "de facto global tax on the Internet."

Musk earlier this week made veiled comments about ‌App Store‌ fees, but today's statement is a much more direct criticism.

During Tesla's earnings call, Musk said that Tesla was planning to let other companies use its charger network because Tesla does not want to "create a walled garden" and use that to "bludgeon" competitors. Musk said that this is a tactic used by "some companies," and then he fake coughed and said "Apple."

Epic Games launched a major dispute with Apple in August 2020, defying the ‌App Store‌ rules and getting popular game Fortnite removed from the ‌App Store‌. After that, ‌Epic Games‌ launched a planned lawsuit to call out Apple's ‌App Store‌ fees and restrictions.

Apple and ‌Epic Games‌ went to trial earlier this year, and we're waiting to hear the outcome. ‌Epic Games‌ is aiming for alternate app store or app loading options, while Apple wants to maintain the status quo.

Musk has clashed with Apple over the years due to employee poaching issues, but this is the first time he's directly spoken out about Apple's ‌App Store‌ policies. Tesla does not have a paid app in the ‌App Store‌ and is not impacted by fees.

Musk also took to Twitter today to deny claims that he'd once asked to be the CEO of Apple. A new book says that Musk once called Cook about a potential Apple acquisition of Tesla. The book claims that Musk asked to be CEO of Apple, at which point Cook said "F-- you" and hung up the phone.

According to Musk, he has never spoken or written to Cook, and while there was one point where he requested a meeting with Cook about a potential acquisition, Cook refused to meet. Cook has also said that he has never spoken with Musk.

Popular Stories

iOS 18

Apple Releases iOS 18.5 With New Wallpaper, Screen Time Changes, Carrier Satellite Support for iPhone 13 and More

Monday May 12, 2025 10:06 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 18.5 and iPadOS 18.5, the fifth updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating systems that came out last September. iOS 18.5 and iPadOS 18.5 come a little over a month after Apple released iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. The iOS 18.5 update has a...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

WSJ: Apple Weighing Price Hikes for iPhone 17 Lineup Without Blaming Tariffs

Monday May 12, 2025 3:36 am PDT by
Apple is considering raising prices for its upcoming iPhone 17 models set to release this fall, according to people familiar with the matter cited by The Wall Street Journal. The company reportedly aims to pair the potential price hikes with new features and design changes to justify the increased cost to consumers, rather than attributing them to U.S. tariffs on goods from China. The...
tvOS 18 Feature

Apple Releases tvOS 18.5

Monday May 12, 2025 10:01 am PDT by
Apple today released tvOS 18.5, the latest version of the tvOS operating system. tvOS 18.5 comes a little over a month after the launch of tvOS 18.4, and it is available for the Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD models. tvOS 18.5 can be downloaded using the Settings app on the ‌Apple TV‌. Open up Settings and go to System > Software Update to get the new software. ‌Apple TV‌ owners who have...
macOS Sequoia Feature

Apple Releases macOS Sequoia 15.5

Monday May 12, 2025 10:10 am PDT by
Apple today released macOS Sequoia 15.5, the fifth major update to the macOS Sequoia operating system that launched last September. macOS Sequoia 15.5 comes a little over a month after the launch of macOS Sequoia 15.4. Mac users can download the ‌‌‌macOS Sequoia 15.5‌‌‌ update through the Software Update section of System Settings. It is available for free on all Macs able to run ...
iOS 18

iOS 18.5 Expected This Week With These New Features

Monday May 12, 2025 7:20 am PDT by
Following more than a month of beta testing, Apple is expected to release iOS 18.5 to the general public this week. While the software update is relatively minor, it still includes a handful of new features and changes for iPhones. Below, we recap everything new in iOS 18.5. Pride Wallpaper Apple recently announced its 2025 Pride Collection, including a new Apple Watch band, watch face,...
Apple Logo Spotlight Blue

Report: Apple Preparing to Launch Mind-Control Support for iPhones

Tuesday May 13, 2025 6:18 am PDT by
Apple is planning to allow users to natively control iPhones, iPads, and other devices using brain signals later this year, The Wall Street Journal reports. The initiative involves a partnership with Synchron, a neurotechnology startup that produces an implantable brain-computer interface (BCI) device called the Stentrode. The Stentrode enables users with severe motor impairments, such as...

Top Rated Comments

ouimetnick Avatar
50 months ago
Yet you still can't get CarPlay on a Tesla or have anyone EXCEPT a Tesla Service Center work on your Tesla vehicle. One man in a walled garden throwing trash into another man's walled garden. ?
Score: 184 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ArPe Avatar
50 months ago
Says the guy who promotes crypto scams that have high volatility, high level criminal manipulation, high carbon footprint, high fees, high level of scams.

I would say more but politics not allowed and I got suspended for it accidentally a few times. All I can say is that Musk and friends are highly unhinged people and if you know their agenda then you’ll vomit and how people could conspire to commit so much evil.

Don’t believe his stories that he is autist or doesn’t want to be CEO. He says these things to dodge criticism of his behavior. The auto industry has always been very corrupt and makes the chiefs very dishonest and mad. Just look at Henry Ford’s far right anti-semitism and John DeLorean’s crimes.
Score: 66 Votes (Like | Disagree)
HQuest Avatar
50 months ago
Does Elon also means I can now poke around my Tesla without them calling me and being asked to stop?
Score: 52 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Absolute Trainwreck Avatar
50 months ago
I refuse to listen to a man who calls his child “X Æ A-Xii” or take him seriously in general. He’s not mentally well and there need to stop being news articles every time he babbles out even more incoherence.
Score: 52 Votes (Like | Disagree)
romaguyntx Avatar
50 months ago
Omg Elon shut the whole **** up good lord. Are you good yet? With your billions?!? For the love of Christ get a f**** hobby!
Score: 48 Votes (Like | Disagree)
WiseAJ Avatar
50 months ago
Its a fee for services rendered not a tax.
Score: 47 Votes (Like | Disagree)