"Should We Stop Advertising on X?" Apple's Warning to Musk

Team Cook: "X is an Important Asset for Discourse"
"But I Do Not Agree with Anti-Semitism"
Apple, an Advertiser Spending Over $100 Million Annually

Apple's CEO, Tim Cook, the manufacturer of the iPhone, has revealed that he is contemplating whether to continue advertising on 'X' (formerly Twitter). Apple is one of the major advertisers spending about $100 million (approximately 132.5 billion KRW) annually on X.

Team Cook Apple Chief Executive Officer (CEO). [Image source=Yonhap News]

According to CNBC on the 18th (local time), Cook mentioned X, which was acquired by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, during an interview on the current affairs program 'Sunday Morning' aired the previous day.

Regarding Apple's advertising on X, he said, "That is a question we ask ourselves," and stated that they are evaluating whether to continue advertising on X amid criticism of Musk for alleged anti-Semitism.

Cook explained, "X is an important asset," adding, "I believe it has value as an online discourse space where people can freely share their opinions."

However, he also pointed out that there are aspects of X promoting anti-Semitism that he does not agree with. He emphasized, "To be clear, there is no place for anti-Semitism."

Non-profit Jewish organizations and others claim that anti-Semitic posts have surged since Musk acquired X, accusing Musk of fostering anti-Semitism.

In response, Musk has argued that these organizations' pressure has significantly reduced X's revenue and has filed lawsuits against them, leading to ongoing conflicts.

Although Cook has not yet announced a complete withdrawal of Apple ads from X, it is known that Apple spends about $100 million on advertising on X, leading to interpretations that X could suffer a significant blow if Apple leaves.

As of June 2023, X lost 59% of its advertising revenue in the United States, and more than 1,000 advertisers reportedly left the platform after Musk's acquisition.

Meanwhile, in the same interview, Cook also mentioned Apple's next-generation product, the mixed reality (MR) headset 'Vision Pro,' revealing that he watched an entire season of a popular American drama using the Vision Pro.

He said, "Vision Pro is more complex than the iPhone," adding, "Therefore, innovation is needed not only in development but also in manufacturing."

Earlier, at the new product launch event on the 12th, which introduced the iPhone 15 series and others, Cook had also mentioned that the 'Apple Vision Pro' is expected to be smoothly released early next year.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.