App Store Showdown: Elon Musk & Spotify CEO Call Out Apple's Stranglehold On Twitter Subscriptions

Elon Musk and Spotify Technology S.A. SNAP founder and CEO Daniel Ek once again slammed Apple Inc.’s AAPL App Store guidelines, referring to them as “absurd” and presenting a “serious scaling” problem. 

What Happened: After introducing the Twitter “Subscriptions” feature earlier this month, Musk responded to inquiries from users explaining why subscriptions take longer to appear on iPhones than on the web. 

According to Musk, the reason behind this delay is Apple because all “subscriptions currently have to be approved” by the tech giant. 

See Also: YouTube Music Takes On Spotify In The Battle For Podcast Supremacy

Spotify CEO then quote-tweeted Musk’s post, criticized Apple’s guidelines and called them “absurd,” to which the Twitter CEO responded, saying, “This is becoming a serious scaling challenge.” 

Musk and Ek are referring to App Store guidelines regarding in-app subscriptions for digital content, which Twitter must comply with as these new subscriptions are accessible through the iPhone app, reported 9To5Mac.  

Why It’s Important: This isn’t the first time Musk and Ek have come together to criticize Apple’s App Store guidelines. In October last year, Ek accused Apple of continuing to “disadvantage competitors.” Musk responded to his remarks, saying it is a “concerning” issue.  

There has been a longstanding conflict between Spotify and Apple concerning the 30% commission that the Cupertino, California-based tech giant levies on apps to sell their products and services on the App Store, as well as the regulations it imposes on such apps.

According to Apple, its payment system safeguards users against fraudulent activities, thereby ensuring the App Store is a secure platform for use.

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