Apple could sink Elon Musk's Twitter by yanking it from the App Store. But it would put Apple in jeopardy too.

Apple accused the iPhone maker of censorship and monopolistic practices, according to Musk.

Musk is not the only one who complains about fees. Many people think that Apple's App Store is an anti-competitive monopoly because it requires in-house payment processing. There is a fee charged by Apple for sales made through the App Store.

Musk is shining a light on what Apple decides to moderate.

Is it possible that Apple could remove the app from the store? Is it possible that it could?

According to experts, Apple could find a reason to take it off the App Store.

The majority of people in the US use Apple's mobile device operating system. Half of the potential audience would be killed if the app were removed.

It's not a smart move for Musk to pick a fight with Apple because they need the company's app for survival.

It would increase the antitrust criticism Apple is getting about its App Store policies if it were to engage in a fight.

"We believe at the end of the day Apple would cause a major antitrust issue and political controversy if they tookTwitter off the App Store." Apple doesn't want this to start a bigger problem.

In the past, Apple has taken apps down. Apple removed the payment mechanism from the App Store when it was launched by the game developer. They sued Apple on antitrust grounds. The judge said Apple must allow app makers to make money on their apps without paying Apple. The decision is being appealed by both sides.

Musk wants to bring in more revenue by paying Apple 30% of anything it brings in.

Mitch Stoltz, the competition director and senior staff attorney at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, said that it was a factor in the flight between Apple and Twitter.

The precedent set by the Epic Games lawsuit means that Apple can't kick out a company for in-app fees, but they can find a reason for privacy or harassment.

Strong content moderation systems are required by Apple's policies for apps with user generated content.

Since taking over, Musk has drastically reduced the staff of moderation. Carolina Milanesi, an analyst with Creative Strategies, said that it could be a reason for Apple to remove the app from the store. Apple removed Parler in 2020 due to lack of strong moderation.

Milanesi said that it would be a slippery slope for Apple because Facebook has online harassment and misinformation.

She wanted to know where you drew the line. They don't want to create a precedent.

It's difficult for an outsider to say that this doesn't violate Apple's policies. The policies are vague.

Child pornography can be removed from Apple's platform. Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) that did not appear in the PhotoDNA database of known CSAM caused Apple to remove the app from the App Store.

"As far as Apple is concerned, there's always been a gray area when it comes to pornography on the service, and it's possible that the reduction in content moderation staff means it's more likely that truly objectionable stuff ends up on the service," he said.

Apple won't remove the social network from its App Store because of antitrust concerns.

There are bills in congress that would like to see Apple and Google stop using anti-competitive tactics. It could revive interest in the legislation if it were forced to be removed from the app store.

Stoltz said there's a lot of attention on the control Apple has over its platforms.

Even more attention is being given to it by Musk. If Apple is cautious and smart, it won't take the bait.