Brad Greenspan, founder of one of the earliest social networking sites Myspace, argues that it would have been easier for Elon Musk to create his own “Twitter clone” rather than buy the platform.
Elon Musk was told by Twitter’s legal department that he had violated a non-disclosure agreement after previously tweeting how the company searches for bot accounts, he tweeted on Saturday.
“Twitter’s legal team just called to complain that I violated their non-disclosure agreement by revealing that the bot review sample size is 100!” Musk tweeted, “That actually happened.”
Musk is in the process of completing his $44 billion acquisition of Twitter and is deliberating on public filings, including the number of bot users on the platform, which he has promised to remove once he takes control of the company.
Twitter’s legal team just called to complain that I violated their NDA by revealing that the bot review sample size is 100!
That actually happened.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 14, 2022
ELON MUSK SAYS THE TWITTER DEAL IS ‘WAITING’
After an internal review, Twitter told Musk that bot accounts make up less than 5 percent of its users.
“The Twitter deal is temporarily on hold pending details supporting the calculation that spam/fake accounts actually make up less than 5% of users,” Musk tweeted.
Elon Musk arrives at the 2022 Met Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 2, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Gilbert Carrasquillo/GC Images) (Gilbert Carrasquillo/GC Images/Getty Images)
The tiny number is well below expectations for anyone who uses the platform regularly, including Musk, who followed up on his tweet by sharing how Twitter reached the number.
ELON MUSK ACQUIRES TWITTER IN $44B DEAL: NOW WHAT?
Musk is in the process of completing his $44 billion acquisition of Twitter and is deliberating on public filings, including the number of bot users on the platform, which he has promised to remove once he takes control of the company. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images/Getty Images)
“To find out, my team will conduct a random sample of 100 followers of @twitter. I invite others to repeat the same process and see what they discover,” he tweeted, when someone on the platform urged Musk to “explain a little more about the process.”
To find out, my team will conduct a random sample of 100 followers @twitter.
I invite others to repeat the same process and see what they discover…
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 14, 2022
“Any reasonable sampling process is fine. When many people independently get similar results for percentage of fake/spam/duplicate accounts, it will be instructive. I chose 100 as the sample size number because Twitter uses it to calculate <5%. Fake/spam/duplicate,” Musk replied.
Any sensible sampling method is fine. If many people independently get similar results for % fake/spam/duplicate accounts, it will be instructive.
I chose 100 as the sample size number because Twitter calculates <5% fakes/spam/duplicates.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 14, 2022
The following day, Musk shared the alleged NDA violation.
I have relied on the accuracy of Twitter’s public records
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 14, 2022
Musk is often critical of the platform, once telling users that they were “manipulated” by its algorithm in ways they “don’t realize.”
FILE – The login/login screen for a Twitter account is seen on a laptop computer in Orlando, Fla. on Tuesday, April 27, 2021 (AP Photo/John Raoux, File/AP Newsroom)
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Amid the controversy, the Tesla CEO said he was “still determined” to buy Twitter.
Still committed to takeover
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 13, 2022