Twitter will give Elon Musk ‘firehose’ of raw tweet data in dispute over bots, reports say
- Twitter plans to offer Musk access to raw data on hundreds of millions of daily tweets after the billionaire questioned the true number of automated accounts
- Since agreeing to buy the social media platform for US$44 billion, and waiving the right to due diligence, Musk has been publicly feuding with the company
Lawyers involved in the deal would not confirm the data sharing agreement. Musk made no comment on Twitter, although he has previously been vocal about various aspects of the deal. Twitter declined to confirm the reports and pointed to a Monday statement in which the company said it is continuing to “cooperatively” share information with Musk.
Musk, who struck a legally binding agreement to buy Twitter in April, contends that the deal can’t proceed unless the company provides more information about the prevalence of fake accounts on its platform. He has argued, without presenting evidence, that Twitter has significantly underestimated the number of these “spam bots” – automated accounts that typically promote scams and misinformation – on its service.
On Monday, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton also announced an investigation into Twitter for allegedly failing to disclose the extent of its spam bot and fake accounts, saying his office would look into “potential false reporting” of bots on Twitter.
The Washington Post first reported Twitter’s plan to provide Musk with full access to the firehose, citing a person familiar with the matter. Other reports suggested the billionaire might only receive partial access.