Twitter Accuses Microsoft of Improperly Using Its Data - The New York Times


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Twitter's Accusation

Twitter sent a letter to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, accusing the company of improperly using Twitter's data, violating their agreement by exceeding authorized usage and sharing data with government entities without permission.

Microsoft's Response

Microsoft's spokesperson, Frank Shaw, acknowledged receipt of the letter and stated that they would review the claims and respond. They expressed their desire to continue their partnership with Twitter.

Elon Musk's Involvement

Elon Musk, Twitter's owner, publicly criticized Microsoft's alleged misuse of data, hinting at potential legal action. The accusations come at a time when Musk is reportedly focused on making Twitter profitable.

Financial Implications

The letter from Twitter suggests a potential attempt to charge Microsoft for past data usage. This is significant as Musk has emphasized the urgency of generating revenue for the financially challenged company.

Potential Legal Action

The situation could escalate into a lawsuit, given Musk's public statements and Twitter's formal accusations of contract violation and unauthorized data sharing.

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Twitter on Thursday sent a letter to Satya Nadella, Microsoft’s chief executive, accusing the tech giant of improperly using the social media company’s data.

In the letter, which was reviewed by The New York Times, Twitter said Microsoft had violated an agreement over its data and had declined to pay for that usage. In some cases, the letter said, Microsoft had used more Twitter data than it was supposed to. Microsoft also shared the Twitter data with government agencies without permission, the letter said.

“Microsoft may have been in violation of multiple provisions of the agreement for an extended period of time,” Alex Spiro, the personal lawyer for Elon Musk, who owns Twitter, wrote in the letter to Mr. Nadella.

The letter may be a prelude to Twitter trying to charge Microsoft for its data. Mr. Musk, who bought Twitter last year for $44 billion, has said that it is urgent for the company to make money and that it is near bankruptcy. Twitter has since introduced new subscription products and made other moves to gain more revenue. In March, the company said it would charge more for developers to gain access to its stream of tweets.

Last month, Mr. Musk publicly called out Microsoft for “illegally” using Twitter’s data to train its artificial intelligence technologies. “Lawsuit time,” he tweeted at the time.

Microsoft said it did not currently pay Twitter for its data. Frank Shaw, a Microsoft spokesman, said the company had received Twitter’s letter and would review the questions and respond. “We look forward to continuing our long-term partnership with the company,” he said.

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