Elon Musk pushes Apple to cut App Store fees, saying he'll meet with Tim Cook

Elon Musk is again pushing for changes to Apple's App Store policies. In a tweet (or post), he said he plans to speak with Apple CEO's Tim Cook about adjusting the 30% commission the tech giant charges on in-app purchases.

Twitter (X) currently allows users to subscribe to other users' accounts through its iOS app. These subscriptions utilize Apple's in-app purchase system, so Apple takes a 30% cut of the revenue as per App Store guidelines.

On the other hand, Twitter did not take any revenue from these subscriptions for the first 12 months. After 12 months, Twitter would begin taking 10% of the subscription revenue.

Under Musk's leadership, Twitter changed its revenue share model for subscriptions. Now, Twitter will not take any cut of subscription revenue until the total payout for a user exceeds $100,000. Once that threshold is crossed, Twitter will take 10% of subscription revenue, but it will still not take any revenue for the first 12 months of a subscription.

Musk believes that Apple should only take a cut of the revenue that creators pay to Twitter rather than the full 30% of subscription fees.

Many X users supported App Store reform in response to Musk's tweet. Some argued that Apple's 30% commission is too high and that the company should take a smaller cut, especially for subscription-based services.

Musk's latest call for App Store commission rules comes as Apple faces growing scrutiny over its fees and policies. Companies like Epic Games and Spotify have challenged Apple's grip over app distribution, and regulators in Japan and the UK have pressed Apple to relax restrictions.

While Apple has made minor concessions, such as allowing certain apps to link to external payment sites, many experts believe more significant changes are needed. It remains to be seen if Cook and Apple will bend to Musk's demands.