Twitter Blue, the social network’s new paid premium tier, will cost significantly more on iPhone than elsewhere due to Apple’s App Store tax.
That’s the claim being made in a report by The Information, which states that this is what Twitter has been telling its employees. Apparently, a Twitter Blue subscription will cost $7 if purchased through the web, and $11 if purchased through the Twitter iPhone app.
Twitter had previously said that it was going to charge $7.99 for Twitter Blue, which at the time was only available through Apple’s App Store. The change of heart is being attributed to Apple’s infamous App Store tax, which sees developers charged 30% of any revenue earned through an iOS app.
Anyone with even a vague hint of mathematical competence will be able to spot that $11 is more than a 30% hike over $7. If Twitter was going for a straight bump to cover Apple’s tax, $9 would surely be more appropriate.
Of course, new Twitter owner Elon Musk has been a vocal critic of Apple’s fee-charging policy. Back in May he tweeted “Apple’s store is like having a 30% tax on the Internet. Definitely not ok.”
More recently, the Tesla CEO indicated that he would rather “go to war” with Apple than pay the 30% cut for transactions conducted through the Twitter iOS app. Musk has since deleted that latest tweet, and had seemingly taken steps to repair his relationship with Apple CEO Tim Cook.
It remains to be seen what Twitter will be charging for a Twitter Blue subscription through the Android app, with Google also levying its own 30% tax.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
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We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
