Elon Musk attacks Apple: says it imposes a ‘de facto global tax on the internet’

As a digital authority charged with arbitrating in disputes that go beyond legislative reason, Elon Musk offered his opinion on the conflict between Apple and Epic Games.

Fortnite developer firm accuses Apple of transforming what was once a small digital store in an illegal monopoly which takes a significant portion of the revenue from mobile applications.

And while the legal battle is still ongoing, the Tesla CEO unexpectedly shocked the world by criticizing the commission that Apple applies to transactions that are made through the App Store.

“Apple App Store feesthey are a de facto global tax In Internet. Epic is right, “he posted to his nearly 59 million Twitter followers.

Apple app store fees are a de facto global tax on the Internet. Epic is right.

– Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 30, 2021

The public’s reaction was immediate. While some made fun of the tycoon Saying that this could be solved if Apple accepted Dogecoin, others attribute the reverse conflict that Musk suffered to manufacture the Apple Car. Many also agree with him.

At the time of writing this article, Elon Musk’s tweet already had more than 220,000 likes, 19,000 retweets, and more than 17,000 comments.

The technology of Manzanita cobraa commission of between 15% and 30% for purchases within apps, including digital items in video games and subscriptions. Apple, meanwhile, rejects Epic’s accusations.

Additionally, the Tim Cook-led company publicly argued that dissatisfied developers can bring their products to Android or the mobile web on iOS.

The Apple Tax is far more pernicious than many realize. “It only applies to digital goods accessible on iOS”, they say – but in the future all physical goods will have a digital presence, and Apple will tax and gatekeep world commerce. Apple must be stopped.

– Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) July 30, 2021

Taking advantage of this tailwind, Tim Sweeney, founder and CEO of Epic Games, also took to Twitter to post a “timely” message, less than half an hour after Elon Musk’s tweet.

“Apple’s tax is much more damaging than many believe. ‘It only applies to digital goods accessible on iOS’, they say, but in the future all physical goods will have a digital presence, and Apple will tax and control world trade. Apple must be stopped, “he said.

While Musk, as a cyber guru, always give his opinion on the current state of the technology marketNone of the entrepreneur’s current companies appear to be deeply affected by App Store fees, although there could certainly be action behind the scenes.

Crossfire

But this was not the only onslaught against Apple. During the presentation of Tesla’s quarterly balance sheet held last week, the CEO and founder of the company criticized Apple for the great amount of cobalt that the technology firm uses to produce the batteries for its devices.

Musk also criticized the amount of cobalt Apple uses in its batteries. Photo REUTERS

When the businessman was questioned about the supply chains of the materials used by Tesla to make its vehicles, he assured thatthere is a misconception regarding the amount of cobalt, an indispensable material in the production of the lithium ion cells used in the batteries of electric cars and electronic devices, used during the process.

“Apple uses, I think, almost 100% cobalt in its batteries and cell phones and laptops, but Tesla uses no cobalt in iron phosphate packages, and almost nothing in nickel-based chemicals. On a weighted average, we could use 2% cobalt, “Musk said.

SL