In a shocking turn of events, Elon Musk, Twitter’s CEO, has threatened to take legal action against Microsoft, accusing the tech titan of unlawfully using data from his social media platform. Musk expressed his frustration in a tweet, stating, “They trained illegally using Twitter data. Lawsuit time.”
Musk’s tweet came in response to Microsoft’s decision to remove Twitter from its corporate advertising platform. While Musk did not elaborate on his claim and Microsoft chose to remain silent about it.
Musk’s Twitter backlash
Previously, Microsoft had announced that its advertising platform would cease supporting Twitter from Tuesday, April 25. Consequently, ad buyers would be unable to access their Twitter accounts via Microsoft’s social management tool. However, Microsoft clarified that other social media channels, including Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn, would still be accessible.
Twitter’s press team replied to an inquiry with their customary poo emoji. In a separate tweet addressing the social media platform’s data issue, Musk mentioned that he was “open to ideas”. He went on to say, “But ripping off the Twitter database, demonetizing it (removing ads), and then selling our data to others isn’t a winning solution”.
The background
Since acquiring Twitter for $44 billion (£35.4 billion) in October, Elon Musk has reduced the company’s workforce by approximately 80% and implemented measures to strengthen its financial standing, including charging users for “blue tick” verification.
In recent months, major corporations like Apple have reportedly stopped advertising on the platform due to concerns about content moderation on the site. In November, Musk disclosed that Twitter had experienced a “massive” decline in revenue, attributing it to activists pressuring advertisers.
During an interview with the BBC last week, Musk revealed that Twitter was on the brink of collapse when he assumed control. He also mentioned that “almost all advertisers have come back or said they are going to come back” to Twitter. Musk expressed optimism that Twitter could become profitable by the second quarter of 2023 and stated that he would be willing to sell the company if the right person came along.
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