Elon Musk has claimed that he’ll invent an entirely new phone if Twitter is removed from the App Store, per Yahoo! Finance. Many people have suggested Twitter might be taken off due to “safety” concerns, but Musk doesn’t care. He claims he would just make an “alternative smartphone” if that was the case. Of course, it’s unclear whether or not he’s actually serious (or how good it would be if it was made).
- Conservative podcaster Liz Wheeler prompted Musk’s comments. She suggested that if Google and Apple don’t like Twitter anymore, Musk should just do his own thing (because that’s worked out really well so far). She claimed that “half the country would happily ditch the biased, snooping iPhone & Android” to buy the “tELONphone.”
- For Musk, creating a brand new smartphone isn’t something he’d like to do. He responded claiming that if it came to that, he would have to do so. However, he hopes he won’t be pushed to it and that Twitter will remain in the App Store. “I certainly hope it does not come to that, but, yes, if there is no other choice, I will make an alternative phone,” he wrote.
- Why would Twitter be removed from the App Store anyway? Lest we forget, Musk is a huge proponent of “free speech,” which often translates into hate speech and misinformation. Since his $44 billion Twitter takeover, he’s restored the accounts of the likes of Donald Trump, Kanye West, and Jordan Peterson. That doesn’t necessarily make the app safe to use for those who want to rely on facts rather than conspiracy theories. In fact, it sets a dangerous precedent. Lest we forget the January 6th “insurrection” picked up steam on Twitter…
- Of course, Musk’s pledge was likely a bit of hot air. Given that Twitter likely won’t even be a viable platform for much longer means that there’d be no point in creating a new phone for the app to go on anyway.
