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.

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Top Rated Comments

ouimetnick Avatar
51 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
51 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
51 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
51 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
51 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
51 months ago
Its a fee for services rendered not a tax.
Score: 47 Votes (Like | Disagree)