The main reason we’re doing a post on this is that the original poster (he/him) is a media studies professor, although he doesn’t say where. (A quick Google search shows he teaches at the University of Virginia, for those with kids evaluating college choices). It was in the summer of 2021, just months after the Capitol riot, that the powers that be determined that the “insurrection” had been planned largely on the Twitter alternative Parler. Actually, the bulk of the planning was done on Facebook, but Parler already had the “conservative” label, so both Google and Apple removed Parler from their app stores (just as it was the No. 1 most-downloaded app). Apple had generously given Parler 24 hours to get its content moderation up to snuff or be removed.
Professor Siva Vaidhyanathan reminds us that Apple has the power to “crush” Elon Musk’s Twitter by removing it from the App Store over terms of service violations.
Apple has the power to crush Twitter or thwart @elonmusk’s reckless changes to this platform. If he degrades content moderation (imagine it being WORSE than it has for the last five years) it could violate the App Store’s TOS.
— SIVA VAIDHYANATHAN 🦬 🗽🤘🏽 (@sivavaid) October 30, 2022
Cry harder.
— The Cuban Dude (@dude_cuban) October 31, 2022
I prefer to moderate my own damn content….
— Codified Likeness Utility (@parkerrm39) October 31, 2022
Crush Twitter because we don’t control the narrative anymore and can’t compete on a level playing field…That’s what you said right, Comrade?
— Lisa (@Rockprincess818) October 31, 2022
How about you wait and see what he does with Twitter before you move directly to sentencing.
— Heath Gilbert (@smallblockfuel) October 31, 2022
Very statist of you.
— Oscar 🥀🗽 (@RandomFLDude) October 31, 2022
Amazing. You can’t compete in the marketplace of ideas so instead you look for every way to enforce your beliefs/control (banning, pressure advertisers, appealing to govt). And you still call anyone to the right of Stalin a fascist?
— L (@lawyerkev) October 31, 2022
I’d sell my shares in @apple the next day, as would many. Let’s play?
— JDubya Has a Question (@JDubya08) October 31, 2022
Oh oh, pronoun guy is upset. 🤡
— Dillon (@000Dillon000) October 31, 2022
You sound intolerant
— Wai 2.0 🧐☢️☢️☢️ (@BamiWai2) October 31, 2022
“If Elon does anything we don’t like, we’ll get the app stores to remove Twitter.”
Also known as the Parler playbook. https://t.co/5kR26BIo5x
— Rachel Bovard (@rachelbovard) October 31, 2022
Say it with me: the app stores are not neutral market access points. They’re monopolized points of distribution with an ideological cast.
— Rachel Bovard (@rachelbovard) October 31, 2022
Elon could make it clear that if they do go that route, he’ll put out a competing Tesla phone.
— Count Derecho – Blah! Blah! (@trueElDerecho) October 31, 2022
He can just buy the Apple store and fix it….lol….
— luv2floss55 (@minnesotaflats3) October 31, 2022
Apple store……add to cart…😝😝
— Alain Arsenault (@AlainArsen67) October 31, 2022
I’m pretty sure @elonmusk knows more about tech than anyone. This is a battle that Apple will lose. I am ready to watch how it plays out though.
— J Carter (@JasonCa29736992) October 31, 2022
When I hear people talk like this it’s because they’re attached to a narrative and that narrative is a ship and it’s sinking
— Yep Practical thinker A doer Always asking what if (@Anthony33760347) October 31, 2022
Twitter works great in a phone’s browser.
— Dave Kleikamp (@ShaggyKC) October 31, 2022
Please do this apple. I SO WANT a Tesla phone.
— brun choplifter (@Libby4Trump) October 31, 2022
Sounds rather fascist. 🤔
— Janie Wallace (@jwla56) October 31, 2022
He could also crush Apple and the App Store with the release of his own phone and crush all the competitors. You should be scared.
— Matthew Laurent (@MattXRPL) October 31, 2022
Here’s the thing. If a co. like Apple were to respond as such, conservatives would move away from Apple products and services. We would not announce it, threaten, or go away kicking & screaming. We would just close our accounts and buy new phones and tablets.
— DB (@Justcallme_DB) October 31, 2022
A “media studies professor” is already daydreaming about “crushing” Elon Musk for not censoring conservative viewpoints. These are the people teaching our kids.
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Related:
Apple removes Parler from the App Store just as it becomes the top downloaded free app https://t.co/UlLKSVKLPv
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) January 10, 2021