Twitter owner, Musk considers smartphone production

Tesla CEO Elon Musk (Photo by Carina Johansen / NTB / AFP) / Norway OUT / NORWAY OUT

By Adeyemi Adepetun

Twitter owner, Elon Musk, has indicated he would reluctantly move into the smartphone-making business if his social media company is taken off Apple and Google’s respective app stores, following speculation about the companies’ plans for the service.

This is coming as various commentators including CNBC have speculated Apple and Google were mulling ditching Twitter due to potential violations of rules relating to the distribution of content or any future changes in subscription options.

In the latest of a barrage of provocative messages posted on Twitter since taking over the company last month, the businessman and he would resort to manufacturing his own mobile phone should the app be removed from the official stores for Apple and Android-based devices.

Responding to a question posed through the platform, he said, “I certainly hope it does not come to that, but, yes, if there is no other choice, I will make an alternative phone.”

The comment made a predictable splash on the platform, provoking comments from enthused fans and critics, and being picked up by a number of global news outlets, according to MobileWorld Live.

While the idea was backed by some online, large companies trying to push alternative operating systems have struggled in the past.

Notably, these include Microsoft with its now defunct Windows Phone and BlackBerry OS, which was used in devices under the same brand before it abandoned its devices business.

MEANWHILE, Musk is considering reactivating all the suspended accounts on the platform. This comes a few days after lifting the permanent ban imposed on former U.S. President Donald Trump.

Just like he did with Trump, Musk has created a poll on Twitter asking people to vote on the proposed amnesty.

However, the amnesty comes with a condition – such accounts must not have engaged in egregious spam activities.

In the Twitter poll, which had recorded over 2.8 million votes as of publication time, Musk asks: “Should Twitter offer a general amnesty to suspended accounts, provided that they have not broken the law or engaged in egregious spam?”

While Twitter users are to vote ‘Yes’ or ‘No’, results of the poll at publication time show that 72.4 per cent support lifting the suspension on accounts, while 27.6 per cent said no.